Star Crossed
by Amaterasu1969
Summary: IYxTwilight! After recieving a strange gift for her birthday, Nessie and the Cullens-plus Jacob-head off to Japan where they meet Kagome, and are used by Naraku. When tragedy befalls Nessie, who will heal her ruined heart? The man with the cold eyes maybe
1. Birthday

**A1969: this idea has been stuck in my head for quite a while, and it refuses to leave me alone.**

**Inuyasha: no kidding.**

**A1969: okay…so this is an experiment. I normally stick to Inuyasha when I write fanfiction, but I want to try something different. So bear with me.**

**Kagome: and tell her what you think of this one! **

**A1969: I don't own Inuyasha or the Twilight series. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Stepehenie Meyer, respectively (how I wish I owned both, though!). **

**This story is in Kagome and Renesmee's points of view **_**only.**_

**Summary:**

TwilightxInuyasha crossover! Nessie's celebrating her fourteenth birthday and, as a surprise present, she and the entire Cullen family—plus Jacob—head off to her favorite country—Japan! They meet Kagome, fall down the well and wind up in the Feudal Era where Naraku tries to use them as pawns. What happens when tragedy befalls Nessie and her heart is utterly destroyed? Who will have the guts to heal her ruined heart?

**-o-o-o-o-**

**Preface:**

I never thought that I would heal again. My heart hadn't been broken when he was eliminated; it had been completely and utterly destroyed. But now, it was as if the man in whose arms I rested had given me hope. He didn't fix my heart—he had given me a new one.

**-o-o-Chapter One-o-o-  
****Birthday**

_-_**x-Renesmee-x**_-_

I couldn't see.

"Is this absolutely necessary, Aunt Alice?" I asked as I fingered the black fabric that my way-too-hyper aunt covered my eyes with.

I heard her make a tsk-tsk sound. "You have way too much Bella in you and not enough Rosalie," she said, making a comment on my taste for the less extravagant. "I mean, seeing as how Rosalie took care of you when you were still a toddler, I'd thought that her taste would rub off on you."

I snorted. It was quite obvious that Aunt Alice had gone overboard this time. "And please, Nessie," Aunt Alice said as she steered me through the halls of the Cullen house. "_Never_ call me _Aunt_ Alice." She pretended to shudder.

"Anyway," I said. "What's the use of the blindfold?"

"I want you to be surprised, that's all."

"You know there's no point to surprise if my mom and dad aren't around." A week before my fourteenth birthday, my parents had decided to have a proper second honeymoon in Isle Esme. I was shocked to learn of that. They had decided to miss out on my birthday.

Alice was entirely silent. "Aw, Nessie," she said, after a moment's pause, "they'll be home soon enough."

"After or before Jacob wolfs down the cake?" I inwardly sniggered at my private joke. Jacob, my other half, certainly had a huge appetite.

"Silly Nessie," Aunt—I mean, Alice said. "Just because Edward and Bella decided to head off to Isle Esme, doesn't mean we won't celebrate your fourteenth! After all, that comes but once in a lifetime."

I snorted. Technically, I may be fourteen now, but I looked seventeen. I had stopped aging seven years ago and it still felt strange to wake up and realize that, like my family, I was frozen in time. Though there was one good side to it—Jacob wasn't getting any older either.

I heard the swing as the glass doors to the garden were slid open. The night wind blew on my face, bringing with it a barrage of scents that I recognized—freesia, roses, lilac, lavender and peonies. The scents of a million flowers that masked all other scents and could only mean one thing…

Alice had gone overboard.

"Can I open my eyes now?" I asked, placing both my hands on the blindfold.

"No, don't you even try to peek!" she warned. "You'll spoil the surprise."

I inwardly groaned—I hated extravagant surprises.

I felt her leave me and my hands automatically went to the blindfold. "Not yet!" Alice warned. Clearly, she was still in the garden. "Just a moment. Okay, bring it in, Emmett."

Huh? Bring what in? What could they possibly give me that required my Uncle Emmett's brawn?

"Rose, go get them," Alice said again. Aunt Rose was here too. My nose—not so efficient as the noses as the rest of my vampire family's—was totally blinded by the scent of a million flowers.

"This is getting silly," I muttered as my fingers fluttered to the blindfold again.

"Oh no, you don't," another pair of cold hands clamped down on the blindfold, preventing me from taking them off. Uncle Jasper. "I agree with Alice—you'll spoil your surprise."

"Okay…" I heard the sound of feet dashing back and forth across the smooth velvet grass. "Who else is here, Uncle Jasper?"

"Oh, just you, me, Alice, Rose, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme," he answered casually, hands still on the blindfold.

I inwardly sighed. "Mom and dad aren't back yet, then?"

"Nope."

I sighed again. "Okay, Jazz, let her see the light," Emmett was saying.

Jasper removed his hand from the blindfold and at the same time, he took it off.

I gasped.

Every tree in the garden had been laced with flowers—freesia, lilac, lavender, pink peonies and pink roses. Their scent hung the in air, masking out everything else. A wide canopy had been set up in the middle of the garden, their poles laced with flowers. Beneath the canopy was a long table, the kind that you used in banquet halls, covered with white. Above the table were platters of Esme's delectable and mouthwatering cooking. In the very middle of the table was a two layered chocolate cake covered with strawberry icing and beside that was a bowl of red liquid, which turned out to be blood. Animal blood.

Tables and chairs had been spread out here and there, covered with white silk. In front of the table stood those who were dearest to me—my grandparents, Carlisle and Esme (though they didn't want me to call them grandparents—Carlisle and Esme would do), my uncles, Emmett and Jasper (they too, didn't like to be called 'uncles') and my aunts Rosalie and Alice (they also abhorred the title 'aunts'). Okay, almost everyone who was dear to me—my parents weren't here, as were Jacob and my other Quileute friends.

I stared at them. Then I glared at Alice. "What…is…this?"

"Your fourteenth, silly!" she chided as she danced towards me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Birthday!"

The rest of my family came and congratulated me, Emmett giving me a bear tight hug. "Happy Birthday, dear!" Esme said, as she planted a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled at them. Oh, well…

I pulled away from them and glanced at the table again, slightly puzzled. For whom did they feel the need to make this much food? Surely, they knew that I preferred blood to human food and certainly none of them would even give a thought to eating a spoonful of chili or lasagna…

"SURPRISE!" several voices shouted.

I jumped and spun around just as my Quileute friends came out from behind the tree. So that was why there was a million flowers.

I smiled as my werewolf friends came toward me. Sam, Seth, Quil and Embry—the closest friends I had among the wolves. They came towards me and we hugged and I realized that there was one werewolf missing—my Jacob.

"Happy Sixteenth, Nessie!" Seth greeted as he gave me a tight hug.

"Thanks!" I said, smiling while my eyes roved around the trees, hoping that Jacob would suddenly pop out.

"We're sorry about Jacob," Sam apologized on behalf of the absent wolf. "Billy's wheelchair broke down—Jacob's still working on it."

I sighed. Not being with Jacob always put me down. I couldn't stand to be away from him for more than a day. "Nah," I said. "It's alright." At least my family and friends were here. I inwardly sighed. Not all my family was here, though. My mother and father were conspicuously absent.

A pair of cold hands suddenly clamped down on my eyes and the scent of flowers became even stronger in my nose—someone, might've been Alice, was holding a spray of peonies up to my nose. I placed my hands over the ones that clamped down on my eyes. One hand was slender and feminine, the other, masculine. _Two_ people had their hands over my eyes.

I already knew who.

"Mom! Dad!" I cried out as the hands pulled themselves away from my eyes. I spun around. Edward Cullen and Bella Cullen were standing right behind me, smirking. They looked more like my peers than my parents and that was what set them aside from ordinary parents—the fact that they were frozen in their teens.

"Renesmee!" Bella cried out as she wrapped her arms around me. Sometimes, I honestly forget that they're my parents. We look the same age, you see.

"I thought you and dad weren't going to be here!" I cried out, giving them both a hug. "Alice—"

"Is a very convincing liar," Edward finished, smirking.

I looked over their shoulders at Alice, who had just put the spray of peonies back on the tent poles. She smirked at me.

I looked at them all. "Aw…this is such a wonderful surprise!" I finally cried out, stifling the part of me that wished Jacob was here.

Emmett chuckled. "We thought you hated surprises?"

"Not this one!" I said.

As everyone flocked to the table—Sam, Quil, Embry and Seth for the food while my family for the blood—I turned to my parents who were still smiling secretly at me.

"I thought you guys wouldn't come," I said as the three of us sat down at one of the tables.

"We left early," Edward said. "Your mother wanted to be back in time, so did I."

I smiled, leaning comfortably against the chair. "I'm so glad that you two are here," I said. "It would've been very drab without the coolest parents around!" Till recently—due to the fact that they looked more like my friends than my parents—they had given me their permission to address them by their first names and not by 'mom' and 'dad'.

"Of course we should be here," my mo—I mean, Bella, said. "Besides, how would we give you this if we stayed away?" From underneath the table, she produced a small white box with a silver ribbon.

"Aw…mom!" I cried out as I took the box from her, calling her by a title. "Dad! You guys shouldn't have!"

Both of them smiled at me. "Go on, open it," Edward urged.

I looked at him and at the box and back to him again. "Don't worry," Bella said with a smile. "It's a hand-me-down." Like my mother, I didn't like it when other people gave or spent too much on me if I couldn't give them anything in return.

I looked at my dad and he nodded. "A hand-me-down," he repeated, his golden eyes shimmering with amusement.

"Okay…" I said. I slowly untied the ribbon and let it fall to the ground, shimmering. I hesitated before opening the box. If it was anything expensive…

"Nessie…" Bella said. "It's not going to bite you."

"Right," I said. "Just a moment."

I finally opened the box—and caught my breath. Nestled within the folds of black velvet, there lay a superb necklace that would've been the envy of any princess. The chain was made of highly polished gold, glinting gently in the garden lights. The pendant itself was a heart shaped pink diamond cut into a million facets and displayed in a five-prong gold setting. The facets of the pendant glittered in the light, throwing rainbows all around. The pendant itself looked so delicate that it was hard to imagine how one could hold it without breaking it.

"It…it's beautiful," I gasped as I lifted the jewel reverently from its box. "Thank you so much!"

"I told you she would love it," Edward said to Bella, smugness in his voice.

Bella sighed and I turned to look at her. Knowing my mother, she might've thought that I wouldn't want anything grand, like her. However, when it came to jewels, I pretty much inherited Rosalie's taste.

Bella smiled sheepishly at me and a second later, she was standing right behind me, fastening the necklace to my neck where it glinted against the light.

I smiled at them both. "I truly do love it," I said. "Thanks again."

"Oho!" Emmett called out as he approached our table. "You're giving her your present already? I thought we were saving that for later." He gave Edward a look.

"Sorry," Edward said as he stood up to stand by Bella's side. "We couldn't resist."

"I wanted to be the first to give her our present," Emmett sighed as he pointed to a package near the table. I gaped. The package was wrapped up in red and was as tall as me and probably a meter wide. What one earth could be in it?

"Our?" I asked.

"Mine and the wolves," he said, grinning.

I looked at the wolves, stunned that they would chip in with Emmett for a gift for me. "Alright!" I said in a loud voice. "When you're all done eating, I want my presents, please." I knew I must've sounded like a child, but I was just so curious as to what they were going to give me.

I watched as everyone finished their food with a bit of impatience, when they were done, they looked at me and grinned.

"Which one first, Ness?" Jasper asked.

I deliberated for a moment. Emmett and the wolves' seemed to be the biggest. Save the best for last, then. Not that theirs was the best. Edward and Bella's had been the best, but they had given it first, so let me rephrase. Save the second best for last.

"Alice," I said promptly.

Alice danced over to where I sat with Bella and Edward at my side. She grinned as she handed me a blue gift wrapped box. I opened it eagerly, throwing the wrapping paper around. Inside I found…another box? It was smaller, but it was definitely another box.

Sam, Seth, Quil, Embry and Emmett howled with laughter at the look on my face. "Okay," I said under my breath, listening to the tinkling of my voice which Jacob said he loved. My stomach clenched. How I wished Jacob was here!

Ignoring the clenching in my stomach, I tore through the second box…only to find another smaller blue box.

Emmett now held his sides as he laughed away.

I looked up at Alice and Jasper and they only grinned at me. What sort of trick were they pulling? I opened the box…there was another box inside.

I could now say that my Quileute friends were literally howling with laughter.

"Jasper," I said through gritted teeth, looking up at him and Alice. "You're so dead."

He and Alice chuckled. "That's the last box, Ness," Alice reassured me.

"It'd better be," I muttered as I opened the box. My eyes popped up in surprise. Inside the box, lay a set of silver keys…

Car keys.

I lifted them out of the box and looked at them, then at Alice and Jasper. Okay…this was a way too expensive gift…

"Don't say that you don't like it," Alice said, grinning. "You haven't seen the car yet."

Speechless, I nodded. "Okay…I'll open the rest first before I check out the car."

"Right," Alice said, with a smirk. "Emmett, you're up!"

My eyes popped up. Here was the gift that I had wanted to see—the one that required Emmett's brawn to lift. Emmett grinned as he picked up the life-sized box. As I watched him lift it, I saw that Emmett wasn't really exerting any force as he lifted the box at all. He was only feigning that it was heavy. Okay. But what was in it?

"Actually," Rosalie said. "Emmett thought of it and the dogs agreed to it." My Quileute friends had long since accepted the fact that Rosalie would always refer to them in this way. They, in turn, referred to her as 'Icy Barbie' of just 'Barbie' for short.

I nodded as Emmett set down the box in front of me. I immediately noticed that the heavy scent of flowers hovered over the box. I raised an eyebrow. What could be in it that needed the scent of flowers to block out its natural smell?

Now I was really curious.

I eagerly tore through the wrapping paper with inhuman speed, accidentally throwing the big red ribbon at Sam who caught it before it could hit him in the face. I eagerly opened the box to find it filled with…

Flowers.

The same kind of flowers that hung everywhere. I tilted my head. Flowers? What would I need flowers for?

I turned around to face Emmett. "Er…I think we've got enough flowers, Em—"

Before I could finish my sentence, I suddenly heard the sound of flowers tumbling against one another as though something were trying to break free from the flowers. A second later, a pair of hands clamped down over my eyes, turning my vision black yet again.

"Hey!"

This person's hands were far too rough to be Alice's. The scent of flowers clung heavily to this person. However, it barely masked the scent underneath, the scent that I recognized and sought for all night.

A fresh pine-and-wood smell, the smell of the forest. "Jacob!" I cried out as I spun around and at the same time, I removed the hands from my eyes.

My mouth hung open.

Jacob was dressed up. His hair—which he had willingly cut short, under my request—was kept back and neat. He wore a tuxedo, which was strange, because I have never known him to be the type to dress up. There was a single white carnation in the lapel of his tux. To complete the effect, he held out a bouquet of fourteen silver roses. I didn't have time to think where he could've gotten them (Edward probably had something to do with it), for my attention was drawn to the one thing that spoiled this vision of perfection.

There was a stray flower in his hair. It seemed as if he had hidden—or rather, _been_ hidden—inside the flower filled box.

"Jacob!" I cried out again, as I threw my arms around his neck. "I thought you were with Billy!" I kissed him lightly on the cheek. Usually, I would've kissed him fiercely on the lips, but since my parents were present…

"And miss your birthday?" Jacob asked as he handed me the roses. "Over my dead body." He added with a snort.

I giggled as I took the roses from him. The silver petals shimmered softly in the light. "These are incredible!" I exclaimed. "Where did you get these?"

I looked up at him and saw that his eyes flickered to Edward and Bella, thus confirming my suspicions.

Jake shrugged. "Happy birthday," he said, giving me a peck on the cheek.

"This is brilliant!" I said again, "now everyone's here!" I wrapped my arms around his neck again and this time, I did kiss him.

After a few moments, Rosalie and several others cleared their throats—loudly. I blushed and pulled away and caught Bella and Edward watching, their mouths in a thin line. Oh well. Rosalie then handed me another package which I opened with less fervor than the rest—the best package was already opened and the excitement from opening the rest had all but drained away. Rose's gift turned out to be a diamond jewelry set which could have been worth Buckingham Palace.

"It was my grandmother's," Rose said hurriedly as I skeptically eyed the shimmering ring, earrings and diamond drop pendant. "I didn't spend anything on it at all."

I looked at her and smiled. "Thanks, Rose," I said. "But why are you giving something this precious to me?"

She shrugged. "Well, before…before I became a vampire, I planned to give it to my own granddaughter," she said, and I thought I detected a faint catch in her voice. "However…seeing as how I can't have any, I thought that it would be better off with you." She smiled again, and this time, the smile transformed her face to make her look like a beauty that would have been the envy of Venus herself.

"Thank you," I said sincerely. I knew that I wouldn't probably get to wear the entire set at the same time, but still, I'd treasure it.

The last ones to hand over their gifts were Carlisle and Esme. Knowing how generous Carlisle could be (I've already been to Isle Esme for the summer), I was in a state of dread. What could they have gotten me?

Carlisle and Esme smiled at me as the latter handed me a thick Manila envelope with the words 'Happy Birthday, Nessie' written in Carlisle's elegant hand across the flap.

An envelope.

What could be in it? Documents stating that I now owned the state of Washington? Letters saying that Carlisle had legally purchased the moon? Or papers saying that he had bought Windsor Castle? Not even taking into consideration the bloated accounts all over the world in each and every bank imaginable that was stamped with the various names of the Cullens (accounts which only seemed to get even more bloated as the months rolled by, I'm not exaggerating), there was enough money stashed in the house that could've easily kept one fourth of Asia afloat for several years.

I didn't have time to ponder how my family's bank accounts seemed to get bigger as the days passed; instead, I pondered what could've been inside the envelope. What was it, really? I had already known for a long time that the one person who would be a danger when it came to gift-giving was neither my father nor Alice; it was my grandfather, Carlisle.

"Well?" both Carlisle and Esme asked.

I nodded at them. They were the only grandparents on earth who looked like models—and in a way that was pretty cool.

I immediately tore through the Manila envelope, being careful not to rip out anything inside it. Inside were white papers…tickets.

My eyes popped open. There were ten plane tickets inside. Ten plane tickets to Japan, the country I'd been obsessing for the past several years now. I was no longer obsessed, but to let Carlisle and Esme know wouldn't be good. However, there was one person who would immediately know what was going on inside my head. My eyes scanned the crowd of my family and they finally rested on Edward.

He was giving me a look that clearly said, 'Enjoy it for their sakes'. Sometimes, I envied Bella for being able to keep my father out of her head.

"Thank you!" I squealed with delight. Unlike Bella, my acting skills were flawless. I threw my arms around Carlisle and Esme, giving them a tight hug. "Thank you so much! I've always wanted to jet off to Japan. But…why are there _ten_ tickets?"

They smiled again. "We're all going," Carlisle said simply, smiling. "The family and Jacob too."

If I was slightly averse to the thought of jetting off to Japan because I'd be separated from my Jake, I was now utterly delighted. "Oh thank you!" I cried out with perfect sincerity, no acting this time.

"Just great," Jake grumbled. "Flying off, getting free barf bags…just exciting." Sarcasm dripped heavily from each word. I giggled at him and Edward carefully gave him a punch on the shoulder.

Everyone laughed, but from the peripheral of my vision, I saw Alice make her way over to Edward. They looked into each other's eyes and I knew they were having a silent conversation.

"How could you not see this earlier?!" Edward snapped, his velvet voice suddenly sharp.

Alice's eyes narrowed. "I couldn't see at all because of the wolves and Nessie in general," she said, her tone calm. "I only saw it now, because I was really looking for it. I didn't even get a full look. I only got a glimpse."

By now everyone was aware of Alice's latest vision. That she could've seen anything with the wolves present was astounding. Everyone, except some of the wolves who kept their distance, converged around Alice and Edward. Jasper didn't even bother trying to calm everyone down. We were all too preoccupied with what was going on at the moment.

"It was a snap decision," Alice murmured softly. "I know that I've seen them leave Italy, I know I've seen them come to the country, but, Edward, I never saw them come to Forks!" At the mention of the word 'Italy' everyone suddenly tensed. Italy could only mean one thing.

The Volturi.

During our last encounter with the Voltui, they had turned and fled. But over the years, they had collected more power, thus restoring their confidence and the fear that their name brought. Over the years they had gotten stronger, far stronger. The last news we had heard of the Volturi was that they had succeeded in finding a new addition to their ranks. A new addition that had the ability to dispel the gifts of vampires.

I suddenly felt cold. The last time I had seen one of them up-close, it had been Aro. What could they want now?

Jacob wrapped his arms protectively around my shoulders and I snuggled into them.

"What do they want?" Edward suddenly said.

"I'm not sure," Alice said, closing her eyes and trying to see past the holes of her vision. There was a slight scuffle behind us. Sam and the rest of the pack—minus Jacob—had left in order to give Alice some wide berth. "I only saw Jane and Alec…and Isabel."

The atmosphere tensed even further. Isabel, whom Bella hated for nearly having the same name as her, was the latest addition to the Volturi coven. She was a vampire who had the capability to dispel the gifts of other vampires. The fact that the Volturi had sent their three most precious and powerful jewels was unnerving. With Isabel's ability to bring down my mother's mental shied, Alec's anesthetizing people and Jane's burning gift, we were at a high disadvantage should it come to a fight.

"Who else is with them?" Edward asked. "Aro wouldn't let his favorites go alone without some escort." There was disgust in his voice.

Alice closed her eyes again. "I'm not sure. I _think_ I see Demetri and Felix. And…no way…"

"What is it?" Bella asked, worried.

"It couldn't be," Alice said as she opened her eyes. "I've never heard of such a thing before…it's just not possible…unheard of…"

"Alice," Rosalie said firmly. "What did you see?"

Alice looked up at us. There was disbelief in her eyes mixed with slightest hint of fear. "Aro is with them."

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"Will you please stop complaining, Inuyasha?" I asked as I placed a foot on the edge of the well. "I told you, I'll only be gone for a week."

It was just me and him in the well clearing. His arms were folded in an annoyed way across his chest and his face was drawn into a pout that—unknown to him—looked very cute.

"Keh!" he said. "You gotta stop going back to your world. How will we find the final jewel shard if you keep leaving, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. Our search for the jewel shard had narrowed down to one final missing piece. Naraku had all the pieces except for the one we were searching. I understood Inuyasha's urgency to find the last piece. But, hey, a girl's got things to take care of, right?

And in my case, it was a week long final examination before the start of summer.

I sighed in exasperation. "Inuyasha," I said firmly, withdrawing my foot from the well's edge and walking right up to him. "We've been looking for that shard for over a month now. There hasn't even been a slight hint of it. Nothing at all. Nothing to go by. If we're not having any leads, if Kikyou's not having any leads, then what makes you think that Naraku's getting lucky?"

He rolled his eyes. "Kagome, you gotta stop being so—"

"So what?"

"So self-centered!"

"Oh! You're calling me self-centered? What a hypocrite you are!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that if I'm self-centered, you're even more self-centered than I am!"

"You're not going home, woman!"

"Sit!"

I had the satisfaction of watching Inuyasha crumple to the ground with a muffled 'Oomph!'. I sighed as I approached the well again.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough," I assured him as I jumped into the well.

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Silence reigned throughout the garden. The flowers swayed eerily in the breeze as though to emphasize the fear in Alice's eyes.

"But…If Aro is with them," Esme said. "Then, surely, Caius and Marcus are there as well?"

Alice shook her head. "No," she said, her voice sounded dead. "It was just Aro. Aro, Jane, Alec, Felix and Demetri."

"But that's impossible," Jasper spoke up. "How can Aro leave Volterra without the other ancients? They always go together!"

Alice shook her head. "I don't know," she murmured. "There's something about Aro…"

Edward had the same look on his face as Alice. "But what do they _want_?" Jacob suddenly spoke up. His arms tightened around me as though to protect me from the oncoming danger.

Alice closed her eyes again. "I'm not sure either," Alice said, closing her eyes and bringing her fingers to her temples as though to massage away a headache. "All I see is that they'll be here…tonight."

"Can we run?" Jacob asked.

Emmett looked disgusted with the prospect. "No," Edward growled, his own arms going around Bella's waist. "We don't have time. Even if we did, Demetri would still find us."

"What is Aro doing?" Carlisle murmured to himself. He turned to Alice. "Where should we meet them?"

Alice had a faraway look in her eyes and her eyebrows were furrowed. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock, do did Edward's. He had seen what she had seen too.

And whatever they had seen did not bode well for us.

"Here," Alice murmured her eyes wide with shock. "They'll come here."

"Here?!" Esme exclaimed, her eyes widening, her hand over her mouth. "Here!"

Alice nodded again. "It'll be best if we wait here," she said again. "The outcome will be more…favorable."

Jacob's arms were tighter around me. I silently stared at him. He was staring at me. He had a look in his eyes that could have only meant that he wanted to grab me and run off with me, far from this danger. What was Aro up to? Why would he come here without the other ancients? In fact…why would he come here with the crown jewels of his collection?

We waited for nearly an hour. The breeze blew, and, for some reason, I felt cold despite the warmth of Jacob's body.

A new scent suddenly reached my nose. Edward and Bella immediately stood in front of me, Emmett and Jasper on either side of them, eyes narrowed menacingly. Rosalie, Alice and Esme stood either side of me and Jacob behind me. Carlisle stood at the very front, waiting to greet Aro. They had gathered around me, I realized. I was the one that needed protecting. I was the one who would be most vulnerable to the Volturi.

"Aro, my friend, it has been a while," Carlisle suddenly said.

Dread filled me as I looked straight past the shoulders of my protectors, at the dark trees. Five figures emerged from the trees, their cloaks swishing softly as they approached. Like the last time they had come, the Volturi walked as though to the beat of a march. They fanned out in an almost elegant way, reminding me of the way a fan opens. The cowls of their cloaks were down, showing their face. Jane and Alec stood side by side, with space between them to show the figure behind them. It was the latest addition to the Volturi, Isabel. Her eyes were a bright crimson—they were almost glowing. Her hair was a thick mantle of gold that hung to her waist in wavy curls and she was slightly taller than Jane and Alec. Felix and Demetri stood on either side of Jane and Alec, both looking smug.

Though we were supposed to be surprised at seeing Isabel there, we were more surprised to see Aro. When his face was finally revealed to the light, everyone stifled a gasp. The last time I had seen Aro, he had seemed so frail with his film covered eyes and delicate skin. Now however, was quite different. Gone was the milky film over his eyes, his hair was longer and was tied back in a ponytail, his skin had lost its delicate countenance and looked like hard marble.

He looked powerful.

And younger.

How could that be possible? I was sure I was not the only one who pondered this question. Before the others could react, however, Aro spoke.

"Yes, indeed, Carlisle, my friend, it has been a while," he greeted. His red eyes flashed to every face as he stepped away from his guard, towards Carlisle. From the peripheral of my vision, I thought I saw Felix wink at Bella.

"What brings you here, my friend?" Carlisle asked. Behind me, Jacob tensed, ready to transform should anything go wrong.

"I merely wished to see how young Renesmee was," Aro said pleasantly. His eyes searched every face until he found mine. "Ah. You look mature now, I see."

"Got a problem with that?" Jacob snarled.

"Peace," Aro said, holding up a hand. "I did not come here to fight. I merely came here to wish Renesmee a most happy fourteenth." His eyes pierced mine, and I could feel everyone tense. If it came down to a fight—with Isabel on their side—we would loose. I had to do something. He came here under the pretence to see me, and that's what he'll get.

"Thank you," I said, stepping away from protectors. I tried to ignore Jacob's growl of alarm, but it was hard to do.

"Now, now," Aro said, looking at Jacob. "We did not come here to fight. We merely came here to wish Renesmee well…and to give her a little present."

Jane's eyes narrowed menacingly at me and she bared her fangs at me. Everyone tensed, crouching, ready to spring. The Volturi responded in a similar way.

"Peace, my dear ones," Aro reprimanded. The Volturi immediately straightened. "Felix."

We watched as Felix approached Aro, withdrawing something from within his cloak. It was a box, an ordinary black velvet box. Aro smiled—it was almost genuine—as he slowly approached Carlisle, holding the velvet box towards me. I stiffened and so did the others.

I glanced at Edward and Bella. They nodded encouragingly. I hesitated as I approached. My heart—pounding frantically in my chest—was the only sound I could hear. I took a step towards Aro. I could feel Jacob prepared to phase, tensing, watching my every move. I was now a foot away from Aro, and yet I didn't feel frightened. I felt calm. Unafraid.

Jasper.

I was thankful, though. It made taking the velvet box from Aro's marble hand much more easier. "Thank you," I said, faking a smile, which he took for genuine.

He and the rest of the Volturi looked expectantly at me.

Oh.

Of course. I opened the box and my eyes popped up. Inside, nestled within the folds of white satin, was another diamond necklace, the third one I had received that night. The chain was made of intertwined gold. The pendant was a round diamond, the size of a small golf ball. The pendant was fitted into gold vines that twined and twisted so that they held the diamond. I would have immediately thought of discarding it, had it not been for another jewel.

A jewel within the diamond.

Inside the diamond, in the very center, was a purple-pink jewel shard. I stared at it. How on earth could there be another jewel within a jewel? I gently took the necklace from the box and held the pendant up to my eyes. The diamond did not interest me at all. It was the jewel shard within. It had a faint glow to it and, was it just my imagination, or did just turn the slightest shade darker?

"It…it's…beautiful." My voice sounded genuine.

I looked up at Aro. "It's just a little jewel from the sixteenth century," Aro said dismissively. "Something that was lying around."

From the peripheral of my vision, I could see Jane's fangs bared and her eyes narrowed. Hm…did the little darling hate that I was given this? Obviously.

But it was not the diamond that made me want to keep the gift. It was the jewel within the diamond. I was fascinated by it. How did another jewel end up within the diamond?

"I give my thanks," I said, using formal language.

Aro nodded then stepped back towards his protectors all of whom closed in around him. "Must you leave so soon, my friend?" Carlisle asked. Was he crazy?!

"Unfortunately, yes," Aro said. "Volterra without me would not be Volterra at all."

With that, they took their leave.

It was silent for several minutes, then, I felt Jacob pull me into his arms.

"That was it?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "They had no other intention other than to give you that."

Eventually, the party continued, but in a more subdued way. That is, until the other wolves returned. After asking questions, they began to devour the food, restoring the feel of the party which ended close to midnight. As I walked Jacob to main road from the drive, I took out Aro's gift.

"It's a strange thing," he commented. "Another jewel inside—not even a jewel, more like a shard."

I shoved him. "Be nice," I said. "Despite the fact that this was given to me by Aro, I really do like it."

He snorted. "It might be a trap."

It was my turn to snort. I held the necklace in front of my eyes. "It looks harmless enough."

"Sure, sure," he said. We had reached the main road. He tilted my head towards his. "Damn, I hate it when I have to leave."

I giggled as I reached up to kiss him. "Be back tomorrow then," I said, winking. "Oh, and, don't forget to give Billy my regards!"

He nodded, and then he kissed me again. Longer this time. My face in both of his hands, his thumbs gently stroking my cheeks. I giggled as I pulled away. "Alright then, go on," I said, "before Billy accuses me of keeping you hostage."

He grinned then ran off.

- - - - - -

That night, as I lay in bed, I took out Aro's present. I held it out towards the moonlight where it glittered softly, the jewel within the diamond sparkling purple.

It was a strange jewel. But, then again, the intentions of the one who had given it were even stranger.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: wow! First chapter and it was that long. Ow! Finger ache!**

**Inuyasha: you're such an idiot sometimes. And why is there hardly any me at all in this chapter?**

**A1969: chill, boy, it's just the beginning. Yeah, there's not much Inuyasha in it. Don't worry, it'll change soon enough.**

**Kagome: -sigh-she just loves to experiment sometimes.**

**A1969: well, blame me if this idea was stuck in my head for two weeks now. Anyway, what do you guys think? Yes, no? Let me know in your reviews!**


	2. Alleyway

**A1969: back again with this weird cross-over that doesn't involve OCs much. Freaky.**

**Inuyasha: it's a new experience, idiot.**

**A1969: whatever. Anyway, I'd like to thank those who gave me my first reviews for this story! Thanks a lot, guys! Really appreciated it!**

**-o-o-Chapter Two-o-o-**

**Alleyway**

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

I woke up the next morning, thinking that Aro's strange visit was nothing more than just a dream. But when I rolled over in bed, however, the jewel that Aro had given me glinted beside my bedside desk. So Aro's visit hadn't been a mere dream. I sat up and took the jewel in my hands. I totally ignored the golf ball-sized diamond and looked, instead, at the purple jewel fragment within. I had fallen asleep last night pondering how another jewel could've ended up within a diamond and, of course, thinking about Aro's true intentions in giving me the jewel.

It seemed harmless enough. I turned it over in my palm. The size of the diamond prevented me from wearing it but, strange enough, I didn't want to leave it behind. I replaced it on my bedside table and took a short shower. Over the years, Edward added extra rooms to our tiny stone cottage until it was nearly the same size as the main house of the Cullens—Bella hadn't been too pleased about this, but Edward had been firm. One of the additions to the rooms was a bathroom in my bedroom.

I took a shower, letting the cold water completely wake me. I dressed and then headed out. To my surprise, Bella and Edward weren't in the house. I found a note pinned to the fridge in my father's hand.

**Renesmee,**

**Good morning. Your mother and I have gone to the main house—meet us there as soon as you awake, we have matters to discuss. And bring Aro's gift.**

I stared at the note for a while. They must have taken Aro's visit seriously to discuss it together as a family. I wondered why Edward wanted me to bring Aro's gift. They couldn't possibly think that it was dangerous, could they? After all, it looked innocent enough.

Wait, what am I saying? This is _Aro_ we're talking about! How can a gift from Aro _not _be dangerous? I silently crumpled the letter and threw it in the wastebasket. I sighed as I opened the fridge and made myself a nice glass of orange juice which was one of the few human beverages that I could actually tolerate. I gulped it down quickly and retrieved Aro's gift fro my room.

As I walked away from the house—I never ran, I liked walking—I looked at the precious jewel resting in my palm.

"How could something as simple as a jewel be dangerous?" I asked.

- - - - - - - - - - -

When I had reached the main house, everyone was there, even Jacob. It seemed as though they had been waiting for me to come. When I stepped in, the first thing I did was to usually shriek a cheerful good morning, or whatever time of day it was, then run right to Jacob, much to everyone's annoyance. But, stepping into the room, I couldn't say 'good morning' at all, for the atmosphere felt similar to that of a graveyard's.

"Hey, Ness," Jacob greeted. I managed a smile despite the dull atmosphere. Jacob was my sunshine in situations such as these. He quickly crossed the room and stood devoutly at my side.

"Hey," I said, greeting everyone in the room. Rosalie was sitting in the armchair opposite Edward and Bella, who were sitting on the couch; Esme and Carlisle were standing by the stairs, both with solemn looks on their faces; Jasper, Emmett and Jacob stood near the grand piano, both also wearing solemn expressions. The only person who didn't seem bothered was Alice who was leaning comfortably against the glass wall. She looked as though it were just another ordinary morning.

Edward stood up and looked around as though he were in charge of the whole discussion at hand. "We don't know what Aro is up to," he began, his eyes sweeping across the room. "But it isn't something good." He held out his hand to me. "Renesmee? The gift, if you please."

I was reluctant to hand it over for some strange reason. Still, I fished the jewel from my pocket and hesitantly threw it at Edward who caught it effortlessly. "Aro says that he came to give Renesmee this jewel," he went on.

"It doesn't look harmful," Alice piped up. "It just looks like a strange jewel."

"Exactly," Edward said, still dangling the jewel. "It has another jewel inside of it. Have you ever seen such a queer thing before? Who knows what Aro is plotting? For all we know, this jewel might have dark magic in it." He turned to Carlisle. "What do you think?"

Carlisle frowned for a moment. "Edward, the jewel is strange, I'll admit. However, it looks just like an ordinary jewel to me."

Edward looked as though the whole world was conspiring against him. "Alice, what do you see?" Edward asked, turning to her for support. If Carlisle was not going to give it to him, then certainly, the others wouldn't as well.

Alice closed her eyes for a moment and frowned slightly. I knew that frown. It meant that she couldn't see her visions clearly because of Jacob and me. But she must have seen something she liked, for a moment later, she smiled. "Ah," she said, opening her eyes. "I see parasols, sashimi and Bella attempting to speak Japanese."

Everyone's eyebrows shot up. "What?" Edward asked.

"You heard me," Alice said. "Edward…it's just a harmless present. Why don't we use those plane tickets and jet off to Japan, hm? Edward, seriously, nothing's going to happen. Sure, Aro came here, but we mustn't act as though they are hostile towards us—that'll only provoke them. Instead, let's just pretend that all they wanted was to give Nessie a gift."

"I can't believe you," Edward said. "Aro came for a reason—"

"That didn't seem hostile at all," Emmett offered. "Edward, we've discussed this just this morning. You don't need to worry Nessie."

Edward frowned and Bella placed an arm on his shoulder. "You know what," Alice said. "Let's forget the whole Volturi mess thing, for a while, why don't we? And leave for Japan."

"Oh?" Edward seethed. "Japan? You? You do realize that Japan is _sunny_ this time of year?"

Of course, Edward had a point. We couldn't just jet off to Japan—well, they couldn't, because their skin would sparkle, whereas mine merely glowed—but I could. And, though it seemed very inappropriate at the time, I wasn't willing to pass up an opportunity to go there.

"Oh, I've thought of an answer to our sunny problem," Alice said, smirking. A moment later, she had vanished to her room and returned a second later bringing a flesh colored can with fancy lettering in French. "Pancake makeup."

Rosalie made a face. "You can't be serious!"

"Oh, but I am," Alice said, shrugging. "Don't worry—this stuff is high grade pancake makeup. I had to get this specially made in Paris so it mimics our skin tone." She opened the can with a twist of the lid and held it out for Rosalie to see. "See? It mimics our skin tone perfectly. I have a lot of these upstairs, and we're going to use them. We only have to put in on the places where our clothes won't cover our skin, like our face and neck, for example."

"Stop," Edward said. "You all talk as though we're going."

"We are," Alice said. "Edward, if we go there and if the Volturi is planning something at all, they won't expect us to be in sunny Japan, don't you think?"

"She has a point dad," I said. Sometimes, I felt the need to refer to Edward and Bella as 'Dad' and 'Mom'.

Edward growled and turned to Bella for support. "Stop her."

Bella looked from me to Alice, then to Carlisle. She was silent for a moment, and then she spoke up. "They have a point, Edward," she said. Edward looked as though he was about to blow. "After all, if the Volturi are planning something, which Alice has not seen, they'd hardly expect us to be in Asia. And I'm sure they'd much rather wait for us to come home rather than risk a bask in the sun."

Alice nodded, smirking. "See, Edward?"

Bella looked down at her feet, feeling a bit guilty about not taking Edward's side. I sighed and then looked at Alice. "I don't think we should go," I said.

Edward looked up at me, hardly daring to believe his ears. "After all," I went on. "What fun is Japan if I'm the only one who understands what the people say? How can we enjoy, say, Kabuki, for example, if you all have no idea what they're saying?" True, I was the only one who could speak Japanese. So obsessed was I with Japan that I learned their language. Jacob often teased me about it sometimes.

Alice only smiled—uh oh. That smile on her face was her 'I've-got-something-hidden-up-my-sleeve-that-you-don't-know-about' smile. "Actually, Nessie," Alice said. "We've been planning this trip for quite a while now—a year, actually. We thought you deserved it. And, in preparation, we've been taking Japanese courses online."

She smirked and Edward looked defeated. "Everyone in this room except Jacob and Bella are quite capable of speaking Japanese."

I smiled. Truth be told, I really was looking forward to this trip.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Jacob demanded, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "Let's get this thing over with!"

"What about the Volturi?" Edward hissed, turning to Carlisle seeing as no one was being reasonable about the whole affair. "Carlisle…surely, you must object?" He held up Aro's gift.

Carlisle frowned. "A month in Asia won't harm anyone," he said quietly. "Alice will look out for the Volturi."

Edward frowned heavily then he tossed Aro's gift at me. I caught it just as Edward stormed out of the room. Bella sighed. "He doesn't like being overruled," she sighed. She stood up to leave. "Nessie, if I were you, I'd start packing. I'll go and try to cool your father down."

I was actually excited. I looked around at everyone. They wore subdued expressions on their faces, as though they regretted their decision to side against Edward.

"Well, what're you all waiting for?" Alice asked, planting her knuckles on her hips. "Go get packing!"

- - - - - - - - - - -

Edward, in the end, finally agreed to head off to Japan no matter how reluctant he was to go. Jacob had to convince Billy that he was leaving for a month. After convincing Billy, he then informed Sam that he would be leaving. I sometimes worried about his pack, but Jacob assured me that Seth could handle things while we were gone.

After I packed, I looked around my room, looking for things that I might want to bring with me. Ipod, check. Charger for Ipod, check. Clothes, check. Underwear, check. Swimsuits, check. Cellphone, check. I was done, then. I glanced around my room and my eyes fell on the jewel that rested serenely on my bedside table. I picked it up.

I let it hit the light and it sparkled beautifully, the jewel within glimmering purple. I turned it this way and that. There was just something about this jewel that seemed to captivate me. Perhaps it was the strange jewel shard within. Really, how could a jewel shard wind up inside a diamond when the diamond had not obviously been cut?

I stared at it for a long while then, without knowing why, I packed it into my suitcase.

A week later, we flew off to Japan.

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

"I'm never going to get this right!" I shrieked as I slammed my geometry book shut. "Urgh!" I angrily buried my head in my arms and growled. What was the use of geometry anyway? I mean, why was it so important to know all bout circles and their tangents and their secants and their chords? In fact, who on earth would anyone bother learning all about the postulates and theorems involving lines? And another thing, how could a hypotenuse help us destroy Naraku?

"I'm going to fail for sure," I groaned into my arms as I sighed heavily.

"Watcha worried about, Kagome?" a gruff voice suddenly said, coming from my window.

I gave another little shriek as I tipped over in my chair from the shock. I felt myself tumble onto the floor, my elbow hitting the corner of my desk.

"Inuyasha!" I snarled, looking up at him from the floor. He seemed momentarily worried about my fall, but as soon as he heard the tone in my voice, he started acting like a jerk.

"Geesh, it's just a little fall," he said as he slid into my room.

I growled again as I sat up. I looked at the spot where my elbow hit the desk and found, to my dismay, a purple bruise slowly blossoming across my skin. "Just great," I mumbled.

"Lemme see," Inuyasha said, taking my elbow roughly.

"Ow!" I cried out. "Inuyasha!"

"It's not much," he said, dropping my elbow. "I've been through worse."

"Of course you've been through worse," I snapped, as I stood my chair up. "Naturally, you're a half-demon; _of course_ you've been through worse." Sarcasm dripped heavily from my voice. Normally, I wouldn't be like this, but the postulates and theorems were still swimming before my eyes.

"You know I have," he said. "The first serious injury I've had was a hole in the gut, courtesy of Sesshoumaru. And here you are grumbling about one little bruise."

"Whatever," I muttered as I sat back down on my desk. I opened my geometry book and must've looked flustered because a moment later, Inuyasha said, "What're you so worried about?"

"This!" I exclaimed, holding out the book beneath his nose. "Look at it!"

"I don't get why you're so worried," he said, his eyes darting across the pages. "It's just a bunch of lines and circles."

"Oh yeah?!" I snapped. "Well, you try memorizing all these theorems and see how you like it!"

"I don't have time to memorize a bunch of spells," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. I pulled my book away from him and glared. "I'm gonna spend my time wondering where the last jewel shard could possibly be." His words dripped with sarcasm. "Kagome, instead of worrying about those stupid circles, why don't you come back?"

"I just need three days," I said.

His eyes suddenly became serious. "Sango's not taking it well, you know." Inuyasha's words pierced me. A few weeks earlier, during our last encounter with Naraku, he had extracted Kohaku's Shikon shard right in front of Sango. Kohaku had died, leaving Sango so dejected and sad.

A pang of guilt shot through me. I should be there comforting Sango, not tackling a bunch of stupid lines! I sighed. "How _is _Sango?" I asked. When I left, she hadn't said a word at all. Not even a single goodbye.

Inuyasha sighed. "Still quiet."

I slammed the book shut and stood up. "Fine, I'm going back," I said. "But before we go back, do you mind if I returned Yuka-chan's notes?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Fine…but I'm coming with you, got it?"

I couldn't help but smile. Inuyasha was not convinced that my time was way safer than his. I sort fo found it flattering that he was so overprotective of me. Now, if only he could act nice for once in his life.

I rummaged in my closet until I found a nice pair of black jeans and a sleeveless white shirt. The weather outside was scorching and the sun blazing. I was sorely tempted to wear a miniskirt, however, aside from the ones I wore to school, I was uncomfortable in a mini. Besides, I had a sneaking suspicion that Inuyasha might some remark about it that would make me blush.

"Go out, please," I said, gesturing to door.

"Why?"

"I have to change!" I said.

"Why d'you have to? I mean, what's wrong with what you're wearing?"

I rolled my eyes. "In case you haven't noticed," I said. "I'm in my pajamas!"

"Whatever," Inuyasha muttered as he left.

"Wait, Inuyasha!" I cried, fishing his out of the bottom of my closet. "Here, if you're coming with me, don't forget this."

He mumbled something, took the hat from me and left the room, closing the door behind. A moment later, I heard Souta shouting out a morning greeting to him.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

A half-hour later, I knocked on the door to Yuka's house, with Inuyasha right behind me. He was looking up at the buildings again, an interested look in his eyes. Sometimes, he would make a remark about how much rubble this or that building would release if he cared to test the Wind Scar on them. I would reprimand him for this, saying what a show off he'd be if he'd do it.

"Behave yourself, won't you?" I asked as his gaze followed an ambulance, its siren wailing. Yuka's house was located in the busiest part of town.

"Mm…" Was all he could say as he watched a motorcycle zoom by. Overheard, an airplane soared in the sky, casting its shadow down on us.

"Kagome, there's a giant demon," Inuyasha said, narrowing his eyes and placing a hand on the hilt of Tessaiga.

I sighed. "It isn't a demon, it's just an airplane," I said. "Humans use it to fly to far away places."

"It's slow," he commented.

"That's because it's just landing," I said, sighing. "It always slows down when it's landing."

Before he could say more, the door in front of me rolled open and Yuka stood there in the doorway, wearing her school uniform.

"Hey, Kagome!" she greeted me. Her eyes darted behind me. "Oh! You've brought Inuyasha with you! Hey, Inuyasha, how's it going?"

"Fine," he answered gruffly. He really didn't like to talk much to those whom he hardly knew.

Yuka tilted her head at him, then leaned in towards me. "You really should take him shopping sometime," she whispered. "I mean, I know he works at your shrine and all, but he doesn't have to keep wearing those clothes all the time!"

"Uh…well, we haven't really got much time to shop," I said sheepishly.

"I can hear you, you know," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes.

"Eh? You can?" Yuka asked, astounded.

I inwardly groaned. Inuyasha was just so dense!

"Anyway," I said awkwardly as I held out Yuka's notebook. "Here, Yuka-chan, thanks for the notes!"

"I thought you were going to study." Yuka gave me a quizzical look.

"Erm…I need…I can't go to school," I said, "because I've got to go to the hospital for a doctor's appointment."

"Oh no," Yuka said, clicking her tongue in sympathy. "What is it this time? I hope it's not your arthritis again!"

Arthritis?! Gramps must've been busy to think of a better disease.

"Uhm…maybe, maybe not, who knows?" I said. "Come on, Inuyasha. Thanks Yuka-chan!"

"No problem!" Yuka called out as Inuyasha and I left.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Will you please not let anything slip the next time?" I asked as Inuyasha and I crossed the street. From across the street, I could make out the airport.

"Whaddya mean?" he asked.

"Honestly, saying that you can hear what she said even though she was whispering is not the best way to act inconspicuous," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Sorry, if you humans are so deaf," Inuyasha snapped.

I sighed. He was being moody today. "Just don't let it happen again, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Are you mad at me or something?" I asked.

He turned to me just as several pedestrians rushed past us. "No, I'm not mad," he said. "I'm just so…annoyed lately."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "There's one more jewel shard out there, Kagome," he murmured, his eyes holding a faraway look in them. "A shard that's difficult to find. Kikyou has no idea where it is, neither does Naraku. I'm actually worried. What if he finds it first?"

Inuyasha was actually worried? Usually, it was me who was worried and he would be the one to assure me that everything was alright. I suddenly saw something about Inuyasha that I never saw before. Despite how strong he was, despite how loud-mouthed and arrogant, despite how he always said that he didn't care, he actually worried just like us. I had never seen this side of Inuyasha before, and it felt strange.

"We'll find it first," I assured.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I'm being silly today. How can I be worried when I've got you?"

What did he say?!

Hs words made me blush. Did he just say something sensitive? My cheeks felt hot and several passersby stared at me, wondering if I was ill more like.

"Inuyasha," I said. I stopped beside a streetlight and Inuyasha stopped as well. "That's…really nice of you."

"Hm?" he said. I looked into his eyes. The afternoon suddenly didn't seem so hot compared to the blood in my cheeks. "Nice?"

"Yeah, saying you've got me," I said. "That was nice of you."

"Really?" he asked. "Well, of course I wouldn't be worried! You can sense jewel shards and Naraku can't, so of course it's silly of me to worry."

What?!

Urg! What a jerk he can be!

Just as I was about to open my mouth, I felt something.

Something so faint, so distant; I had not felt this in such a long, long time. It came as quite of a shock to feel this presence again…

"Inuyasha…a Sacred Jewel Shard!"

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

"Your pancake make-up works wonders, Aunt Alice," I commented as we stepped out of the airport, tugging our luggage with us.

The make-up had done a good job in shielding their skin from the sun. At first, I thought it wouldn't work and I dreaded the moment when they would step out of the airport and into the blistering sun. Fortunately for them, the makeup worked like a charm. It covered their faces, wrists, necks and hands and arms. As for me, I didn't need to put it on. As I followed them out of the airport, my skin gave off a faint glow, almost like the moon. The glow wasn't enough to give away the fact that I was half-vampire, but people stared at me, eyes wide with surprise at how…well, beautiful me and the rest of my family were.

It was like that the moment the plane had touched down. The moment we stepped out of our plane, people immediately stared. If they had been staring when I was in the airport, now they were completely gawking.

"Whoa," I heard a teenage boy say as he passed, eyes wide, staring.

I blushed. "This is so embarrassing!" I whispered to Bella. She frowned. Like me, she didn't want to be the center of attraction.

Jacob growled, eyeing a bunch of Japanese guys who, in turn, were eyeing me. "Back off," he muttered, growling.

I giggled. "Jacob is jealous!" Alice chimed.

Carlisle looked around, growing a little anxious at how much attention I was attracting. Well, I say _I _because my beauty wasn't smudged by the makeup that they wore. "I told you to wear the makeup," Alice said, sighing.

"Whatever," I said. "Anyway, let's go find a taxi and—"

"Carlisle," Edward suddenly said. "Do you…sense it?"

Carlisle frowned and his eyes scanned the airport grounds. "Yes," he muttered.

What were they going on about now?

"I sense it too," Esme said as her eyes began darting around as well.

Beside me, Jacob suddenly shuddered, as though someone had doused him with cold water. "What _is _it?" he asked, turning to Carlisle. Several passersby stared at us, wondering why we all looked so subdued.

"Demonic aura," Carlisle muttered. "Strong demonic aura."

I was puzzled. "Demonic aura? You mean there are demons?" I always thought that demons were nothing more than fiction, but then again, Bella had once thought that vampires were fiction too.

"Yes," he answered quietly. "I can sense it."

"Why can't I?" I asked.

"You're still too young to sense it," Bella said. "As am I. Even Jacob, though he seems to feel it somehow."

"It's…frightening," Jacob said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I suddenly grew cold from fear. Carlisle and Edward sounded so concerned, so worried. Glancing around at my family, I noted that even Emmett's eyebrows were furrowed. Rosalie glanced around, as did Alice.

"It's headed towards us," Jasper said.

That sent a chill down my spine.

"Let's leave," Bella said.

Edward nodded. "If there is a demon, it's best not to confront it in public. Jasper, you said it's headed towards us…yes, I can sense that too." He glanced at Jacob. "How fast can you run?"

"Run?"

"Yes. While the plane was landing, I saw a quiet part of town," Edward murmured quietly. "We'll lure this thing there."

Wait, what were they saying? Were we actually going to confront…this…thing?

"We're…going to fight it?" I stammered.

"No. _We _will fight it while you and Jacob run off to the hotel," Edward corrected. "Wait for us there."

"What?" I asked. I was more frightened of abandoning them. "No way!"

"It's too dangerous," Carlisle said. He had set down his suitcase on the ground and folded his arms across his chest—I knew that stance well. "Ness…demons are different from vampires. They are stronger…far more stronger."

"If that's the case, then why are you going to go and confront it?" I asked, my voice panicky, despite sounding like a million tiny bells.

"We have to, Ness," Carlisle said. "If we don't, then the humans will be in danger. And we are willing to because there is only _one_ demon. We can handle that, I think."

"Just let me go, please!" I said. "I can't stand to know that you're all in danger!"

"Ness," Jacob began.

"I'll keep out of your way," I insisted. "I just don't want to leave you all."

They were all silent for a moment. All around us, people milled about, unaware of the potential danger that they were in. The noise from the airport drowned out my thoughts of worry as I attempted to stare pleadingly into their eyes.

Now, ever since I was a child, I had this certain effect on people—you could call it spoiled or whatever, but the fact remained that I almost always got whatever I wanted. They say that it's my charm, but I couldn't be sure. As I looked around at everyone—from Esme, to Edward to Bella to Rosalie to Jasper to Alice to Carlisle to Emmett and to Jacob—it occurred to me, from the look on their stern faces, that this may be one of those moments when I would not get what I wanted.

"Please?" I tried to beg.

Jacob's lips were pursed. I'm sure he was against it. Esme glanced at Carlisle who looked at Edward and who glanced at me. "I'm not a baby anymore," I said. "Besides…it's not like you'll all always be here to protect me…"

"Ness," Edward said slowly.

"Oh, let her come," Emmett said. "After all, one little demon can't stand a chance against all of us."

They must have seen the logic in this, for they agreed. "We'll have a porter take our bags to our hotel," Carlisle said.

He went into the airport with Jasper to request someone to bring the bags to our hotel. The moment he came out, we all watched around us, tense. Carlisle nodded to us and then, without warning, we ran from the airport with such speed that no one noticed ten people vanish mysteriously.

- - - - - - - - - - -

The demonic aura ultimately led us to a dark alleyway in bad part of town, as Edward had said earlier. We stopped at the entrance to the alley. Dark shadows spilled into the alleyway as we entered. Edward, Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett led the way, with Jacob behind them, while Rosalie, Alice and Bella followed Jacob while I trailed right behind them, bringing up the rear.

Two scents reached our noses the moment we stepped into the alleyway. First, was the scent of chrysanthemums and pine trees followed by the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle. "I can smell them," Emmett growled.

A voice from within the alley suddenly said something in Japanese. The voice was feminine and high pitched, the source of the honeysuckle-and-jasmine scent, followed by a gruff voice talking with the first.

"Who's there?" Edward demanded.

Everyone tensed as two figures stepped out of the shadows. The moment they appeared there, the moment I saw them, I gasped.

When I first heard the word 'demon', I expected something out of a horror movie. You know, those demons with scales, horns and stuff? The demon that stepped in front of us (I knew this was the demon because his aura was tremendous) looked…well, human. He wore a strange red kimono and a…baseball cap? I could make out a sheathed sword at his side. He looked so strange. His eyes were a beautiful golden color which easily surpassed the color of our own eyes. His hair—the strangest I've seen so far—was a shade of startling silver and his hands didn't have fingernails…they had claws. I also noted that he didn't wear any kind of footwear.

Another figure emerged from behind him. I was shocked to discover a mere human girl of around fifteen or sixteen. She was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and black jeans. Her hair contrasted perfectly with the boy standing beside her for her hair was as dark as a raven's wing.

"Will you look at that," Emmett said.

"Is he even a demon?" Esme asked of Carlisle. "He looks just like an ordinary boy."

"Can you not sense that strong demonic aura?" Jasper asked her. "It's…incredible."

"But who is the girl with him?" Bella asked. "She looks like an ordinary human to me."

"No," Carlisle contradicted. "There's something about her—"

But before Carlisle could finish, the boy spoke in Japanese but we could understand him, nonetheless.

His golden eyes narrowed and his hand rested on his sword. "Who are you?" he asked.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: aha! Cliffy!**

**Inuyasha: you're cruel than you look.**

**A1969: I take that as a complement, my fine dog-eared friend.**

**Inuyasha: keh!**

**A1969: hahahaha! Anyway, I'd like to thank those who reviewed the first chapter again. Thanks! Hope you keep on reviewing! **


	3. Appealing

**A1969: wow! It's been a while since I've last updated!**

**Inuyasha: that's because you're always tardy—like Kagome.**

**Kagome: hey!  
A1969: anyway, thanks to those who bothered to read and review! Reviews are always appreciated!**

**Kagome: of course they are!**

**A1969: enjoy the chapter! **

**-o-o-Chapter Three-o-o-**

**Appealing**

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

They were beautiful.

I could think of nothing else the moment I first saw them. And, really, who wouldn't notice? The four men who stood in front of the rest looked like gods from Greek mythology. They all seemed sculpted out of marble and their features were well defined. It was hard for me to describe each one of them physically, for—I was a little embarrassed to admit this—I could do nothing but gawk. Behind them were four women who, like the men, also looked divine, their beauty and grace incomparable. Behind them lurked another figure who was so out of place among the beautiful strangers that my eyebrows rose in surprise. He was not beautiful like the rest of them. His skin was somewhat tanned and his hair was cropped short; his features also resembled those of the Native American Indians I'd seen in history books. Behind him lurked another figure, but I couldn't make out this one because the others hid her behind them (I was positive that it was a her because only the female gender needed such protection).

They may have been captivating, but I knew they weren't human. For one thing, Inuyasha growled menacingly at them, for another, I myself could sense their inhuman aura. Their auras were impure, yet not evil, something that greatly puzzled me.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked, Tessaiga clenched tightly in his hands.

I looked at them—their features were Caucasian. "Inuyasha, I don't think they speak Japanese," I muttered.

I was contradicted, however, when one of them, a man with blonde hair and a gentle disposition, stepped forward and spoke in fluent Japanese. "We are the Cullens," he answered. "I am Carlisle Cullen. These are my sons Jasper, Edward, and Emmett. This is my wife, Esme, our daughters Rosalie, Alice and Bella. And these are my grandchildren, Jacob and Renesmee." He pointed to each on in turn, except for girl whose name was Renesmee. I couldn't see her. But I could see the reaction on the face of the one called Jacob. He seemed embarrassed that Carlisle had referred to him as a grandchild. Wait a minute…Carlisle was a grandfather?! No way…He looked like a male model.

Inuyasha continued growling. The ones called Edward, Emmett and Jasper tensed behind Carlisle, ready to spring. I stared at them for a moment. What were they, really? They did not have demonic aura, yet they were not human…

Inuyasha tensed, ready to attack, but I placed a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. "Inuyasha, please, I don't think they're evil at all," I said.

"What're you talking about?" he snapped, turning his head in my direction.

"Let's just…ask them questions, shall we?" I pleaded. Besides, I couldn't risk Inuyasha using the Tessaiga anywhere in the city.

Inuyasha was about to open his mouth to reply, but I stepped out from behind him. "Kagome!" he hissed.

I ignored him. "My name is Kagome Higurashi," I said, in Japanese. "And this is my companion, Inuyasha."

I noticed the girl called Bella lean in towards Edward, whispering. "Their names are Kagome and Inuyasha," he translated for her. Bella nodded then turned to the strange Native American-looking Jacob and whispered something to him. So, she and Jacob couldn't understand what I was saying…interesting.

The one called Carlisle nodded his head then looked right at Inuyasha, who tensed and held Tessaiga even tighter in his grasp. "Kagome, is it?" he said, his eyes never leaving Inuyasha. "You are, of course, aware that your companion is…not human?"

"As I am aware that you yourselves are not human," I answered.

Carlisle looked taken aback, then his features became composed again. "Ah," he said. He turned to the others behind him. "You're right. The girl is no ordinary human."

"See?" Emmett said. "They're both strange, Carlisle. They're not safe! We should just get this whole thing over with!"

In the blink of an eye, Inuyasha was suddenly in front of me, growling. "If you think I'm gonna let you bastards harm Kagome, you're dead!"

"Emmett," Carlisle reprimanded. He turned to me, his tone apologetic. "My apologies," he went on. "When we first sensed your companion's demonic aura, we thought that he would be malevolent—"

"And it appears he is," the devastatingly gorgeous blonde woman called Rosalie said. Her voice sounded like wind chimes.

"—and the only reason why we did not attack directly was because we saw you with him," Carlisle finished.

I stepped out from behind Inuyasha again. "Why?" I asked. "You were looking for us, correct?"

"Because _you_ were seeking _us_," Carlisle corrected.

I bit my lip, wondering if I should broach the subject of the jewel shard. What if these people were not to be trusted?

"We looked for you," I began, "because I sensed—"

Before I could finish my sentence, the wind blew sharply from behind me and Inuyasha, and towards the Cullens. I saw them wrinkle their noses, as though the wind brought my scent towards them, which it probably did.

"Human much," the girl called Bella muttered.

I was about to open my mouth to reply, when a loud growl rippled throughout the alleyway. I jerked my head to the one called Jasper. He had a frenzied look in his eyes and a growl issued from his throat—and he was looking at me.

"Jasper, no!" Carlisle shouted as Jasper made a lunge towards me.

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

It all happened very fast.

One moment, the girl named Kagome was saying she could sense us, the next moment, the wind blew in our direction, carrying her and her companion's scent with it. The demon named Inuyasha had a peculiar scent—he smelled strongly of human, pine and dog—though, unlike the werewolves' scent, his dog smell was somewhat pleasant. The girl Kagome, however, smelled quite differently. We had already caught a whiff of her scent before, but it had been blocked by her demon companion.

When we had first smelled her, Kagome smelled like honeysuckle and jasmine, but those scents had been suppressed by the demon Inuyasha's own overpowering scent. But now the wind carried it towards us…

My throat suddenly ached when her luscious scent reached me. How long had it been since I had last hunted? And now, this girl Kagome's scent called out to me, reminding me of the burning in my throat.

Great Scott! Her scent…it was more than honeysuckle and jasmine—it was a mixture of flowers and the most luscious fruits! I tensed and I felt more than tempted to spring at her…Urgh! I felt Jacob's hand twine with mine, as though he had sensed my discomfort. I squeezed his hand and focused on its heat, trying to distract myself. The temptation…

"Human much," Bella muttered, turning her head sideways.

I gripped Jacob's hand and bit my lower lip.

"Jasper, no!" Carlisle suddenly shouted.

I looked up. Jasper suddenly lunged towards the girl Kagome within a second. He had lost control. The girl named Kagome screamed as Jasper easily got passed her demon companion and took her throat in his hands.

Everything was suddenly a blur.

I couldn't see much because Esme and the others blocked my view, but Emmett, Edward and Carlisle were suddenly on Jasper in the blink of an eye. The demon called Inuyasha screamed and rounded on Jasper. Edward had a firm grip around Jasper's waist while Emmett tried to yank him back by holding his shoulders.

But Inuyasha was quicker.

"Let go of her, you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted. He suddenly lashed at Jasper with his giant sword. A moment later, I heard Jasper scream in agony as he let go of Kagome. I tried to get a better glimpse, but Emse and the others were blocking my way.

"Jasper!" Alice screamed. Quick as a flash, Alice left the group and bounded towards Inuyasha, leaving a gap in the wall of my protectors and allowing me to get a better glimpse of what was going on.

I gasped.

Jasper's hands had been severed from the wrist. My stomach squirmed when I saw his hands lying at the demon Inuyasha's feet, the fingers twitching. Blood leaked from Jasper's wrists and he was screaming in agony. Alice lunged towards Inuyasha, rage written all over her face.

"Don't, Alice!" Edward warned.

But Alice ignored him.

She tried to claw Inuyasha, but he held out his sword as a shield. Alice's fist hit metal and the sound of her marble hand against the metal echoed across the empty alleyway.

"Jacob!" I cried out, clutching his arm. "We have to do something!"

"You will do no such thing!" Bella snapped, turning towards me. "Let them handle this!" But I could see worry written all over her face.

"Alice, enough!" Carlisle shouted, trying to pry Alice away from Inuyasha.

"No, Carlisle!" she screamed. Alice was passed reasoning the moment she saw her Jasper injured. My gaze returned to Jasper. He was pushed back against the wall by Edward, who held him firmly by the shoulders, pressing him to the wall with all the strength he could muster. Jasper's bloody wrists dripped blood profusely—a sight that made my stomach squirm.

"Alice, calm down!" Emmett shouted. "Jasper's hands can still be reattached, you know!" If he was trying to be funny, now was the _worst_ time.

"Kagome, get back!" Inuyasha shouted as he backed away from Alice.

Kagome glanced at him, her eyes wide. "No, Inuyasha!" she shouted. "The Wind Scar would—"

"I don't care if people from your era find out!" the demon shouted. "These people are dead!"

Carlisle suddenly glanced at Inuyasha's sword and a moment later, he and Emmett grabbed Alice by her arms and yanked her back. Puzzled, I stared at the overgrown blade. It was suddenly wrapped in a strong aura—an aura unlike any other.

Alice still clawed against Carlisle and Emmett while Edward kept a firm grip on Jasper.

"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome shouted.

"Wind…"

"Everyone!" Esme cried out.

Quick as a flash, Esme, Bella and Rosalie all converged around me. Jacob quickly wound his arms around my shoulders. He and the rest of us were about to leap out of ham's way, when Kagome's voice suddenly tore through the air, stopping us in our tracks.

"Sit!"

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

"Kagome, get back!" Inuyasha warned as he held the Tessaiga even tighter.

My eyes widened in shock. No! He can't do the Wind Scar here! Sure, he had done it before, in front of the school, but this was an enclosed alleyway…The damage would be too much.

"No, Inuyasha!" I cried out. "The Wind Scar would—"

"I don't care if people from your era find out!" Inuyasha hollered, looking back at me. He then turned his attention to the Cullens. "These people are dead!"

For some strange reason, I didn't want Inuyasha to harm the Cullens. Something told me that they weren't really evil. Sure, one of them, the man called Jasper, had attacked me, made a lunge for my throat (speaking of which, why my throat?). When he had attacked me, there was a look in his eyes that seemed to say that he had lost self-control. Besides, Carlisle and the others had pulled him off me after Inuyasha severed his hands…

So, they really couldn't be evil, could they?

But the small girl named Alice had attacked Inuyasha…

No, she only attacked Inuyasha out of retaliation for Inuyasha's having harmed Jasper…

_Could _they be evil?

I focused my attention to the commotion in front of me. The Cullens seemed to have realized the potential danger of Inuyasha's Wind Scar. They were now falling back. Edward took hold of Jasper while Emmett and Carlisle snatched Alice. My gaze strayed to the others, the women. There was a gap between Rosalie, Esme and Bella…

Another figure peeked through that gap. She had beautiful milk chocolate brown eyes and curly bronze hair that fell past her shoulders in elegant waves. Unlike the Cullens whose fleshes were all pale, this girl's pale skin seemed flushed. There was a subtle roseate tinge in her cheeks and her lips were a pale pink color.

It was the girl named Renesmee.

I didn't see her for long though, for the Native-American Jacob wound his arms around her shoulders just as the other three women converged around her, as though to protect her from the Wind Scar…

Were they evil?

They certainly weren't human…

But were they evil?

The Tessaiga now pulsed with a powerful aura, a signal that the Wind Scar was about to be unleashed…

I looked the Cullens once more. The man who had spoken for them, the man I took to be their leader, the man called Carlisle, looked at Inuyasha's sword, his eyes narrowed…

I knew then that they weren't evil.

After all, I reasoned, a group with a seemingly gentle leader such as Carlisle couldn't be evil…

Right?

"Sit!" I cried out.

A loud thud echoed throughout the entire alleyway. Tessaiga fell to the ground with a dull clatter. I heard Inuyasha unleash his arsenal of known swear words into the air. But I ignored him and turned my attention to the family of strangers had I 'saved'.

Most of them had looks of astonishment on their faces. Carlisle was looking at me analytically, his golden eyes (which I noticed all of them possessed, except for Renesmee and Jacob) narrowed.

I took a deep breath. "Enough," I said, in Japanese.

Carlisle took a step towards me in a cautious manner, as though I would attack him. "Enough," he agreed. He turned to Alice and the others. "Stand down."

"But, Carlisle—" The blonde girl, Rosalie began to object.

"Rosalie," Carlisle said slowly. "They do not wish to harm us." He looked at Inuyasha, who was just extracting himself from the hole he had created. "If they wanted to, she would have let him."

"Dammit, Kagome!" Inuyasha swung towards me, his eyes blazing with rage. "What was that for? You wanna get us both killed?" I could swear spit was flying right out of his mouth.

"Sit," I muttered. He crashed into the ground again.

"Fascinating," Edward said softly, his eyes on the fallen hanyou. He still had a firm grip on Jasper, who was still struggling wildly against him, his wrists oozing blood. My stomach squirmed at the sight of his blood and I hastily turned my gaze to Carlisle.

"I'm sorry about—" I began, but Carlisle shook his head.

"No," he said. "It is we who should be apologizing." He gave Alice a sharp glance, but she was too busy staring at the ground to notice. "We are sorry that Jasper attacked you. This is what provoked your companion to fight back."

I shook my head. "No," I said. I hesitantly took a step forward. "Somehow—I don't know how—I offended Jasper. I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"Kagome, what the hell do you think you're saying?" Inuyasha snapped, having just gotten out of the hole. "Apologizing to these…whatever they are!"

I gave him a sharp glance that quieted him. I turned my gaze to Carlisle again. "As I said," I began. "I must have offended your Jasper." Though how I could have offended Jasper, I didn't know.

At my words, the Cullens all stared uneasily at one another.

"Carlisle," a different voice said. The girl named Renesmee was making her way towards Carlisle, ignoring Jacob and the others who protected her. She stood next to Carlisle and I saw Edward throw her a look. I glanced at Renesmee and felt a familiar pull emanating from her…She had the Sacred Jewel shard!

"Renesmee?" Carlisle asked.

"I think they deserve to know some truth of it all," Renesmee replied. She looked no older than I did. She turned her chocolate brown eyes to me. "After all, her life has been endangered."

"To tell her would send the Volturi on her trail," Edward reminded her. Jasper had now stopped struggling in his arms, but his wild eyes were still fixed hungrily on me.

Renesmee shook her head. "She's obviously involved in the world of the supernatural as well," she said. "Besides, they were the ones looking for us, remember? We should like to know why."

Carlisle and Edward exchanged a look. "Carlisle," it was the voice of the woman named Esme. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think Renesmee is right. This girl Kagome is obviously involved in the supernatural. And it would be more prudent for us to know why she and her demon companion were seeking us out in the first place."

"Dammit!" Inuyasha suddenly shouted. I glanced at him and my eyes widened in shock. Jasper's severed hands were crawling away from Inuyasha, towards their owner. So, they could regenerate. "Kagome," he went on. "Let's get the jewel shard and get out of here! These people can't be trusted!"

Carlisle and Renesmee exchanged a look. The latter then turned to me. "Jewel shard?" she asked.

I nodded. "I…I could sense that you…had it with you," I hesitantly explained. I had a feeling they weren't evil—but I still didn't know if they could be trusted.

Renesmee blinked. "You could _sense_ it with me?" she asked, somewhat shocked. She and the others narrowed their eyes at me. "What are you? You are human…but something tells me you're no ordinary human."

"You're no human yourself," I pointed out.

She suddenly smiled. She didn't look as beautiful as the rest of them, but she was still more striking than the average human. "No," she agreed. "I'm only part human."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. She was half-human? Then…what was the other half? I wasn't the only one shocked at the revelation, though. The man named Edward narrowed his eyes dangerously at her and the girl named Bella clicked her tongue disapprovingly. The others wore tight expressions on their beautiful faces. Jacob, however, looked positively scandalized.

"Ness!" he reprimanded the girl.

She glanced at him from over her shoulder, her eyebrows raised. "What?"

"You can't just give information like that!" Jacob pointed out. "We barely know them!"

Renesmee ignored him then turned her attention to Carlisle. "Carlisle," she began. "I think an exchange of information is in order."

"What are you talking about, young woman?" Edward reprimanded. "Jacob is right—they are strangers."

"Strangers who mean no harm!" she said. But her gaze strayed to Jasper's severed hands that had, by now, reached their owner. "Dad—"

Dad?! Edward was her father? No way! They looked to be the same age. What were they?

"—Kagome says that she sensed the jewel that Aro gave me," she said. "She obviously knows just what Aro gave me. Don't you think it would be best if we learned about what Aro gave me?"

The tight expression on her father's face tightened even further. His arms were still restraining Jasper, who was still looking at me with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Carlisle?" Edward turned to Carlisle. "What do you think?"

Carlisle was silent, staring intently at me, then at Inuyasha, who threw them all looks of purest loathing. His gaze met mine and I stared determinedly back at him. It was hard, though. It was like having a staring contest with a god.

He sighed. "I agree with Renesmee," he said at last. Edward glared at him, his grip on Jasper loosening infinitesimally. "Edward, son, Renesmee has a point. This girl Kagome obviously knows something about Aro's gift. We need that information."

Edward's eyes were hard as he turned to stare at everyone in their family. Most of them looked at Edward with the same look that Carlisle had, except for Bella.

"Renesmee!" Bella reprimanded. "What do you think—?"

"Mom," Renesmee growled. "Carlisle agrees with me!"

Mom?! So Bella was her mother and Edward was Bella's husband, then. I made a mental note on their relationships then and there. I already knew Carlisle's wife was Esme, Edward's wife was Bella, and the rest, aside from Jacob and Renesmee, were Carlisle and Esme's children along with Bella and Edward. I filed these away in a mental filing cabinet.

Carlisle let out a sigh as he gazed at me. "Very well," he said. "Do you know of a place where we might talk…and a place where our Jasper might pull himself together?" Jasper looked up at me, hunger written all over his eyes. He growled at me. Inuyasha quickly stood in front of me, a growl slowly building in his chest. Alice glared at Inuyasha as she bent down and scooped Jasper's severed hands from the ground.

"Er…" My mind ran over a list of places but none of them seemed appropriate. I sighed. "My home will suffice, I guess."

- - - - - - - - - -

"Kagome, you're back!" I could hear my mother's voice on the other side of the door, calling out to me. I glanced behind me, at the ten beautiful strangers. Alice was holding Jasper's hands to his wrists which had already stopped bleeding. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle were all standing next to Jasper, their eyes on him since he was still giving me that hungry look. Rosalie, Esme and Bella stood behind the men while Renesmee idled just behind me, Jacob at her side. This close proximity to Renesmee put Inuyasha on edge. He draped his arm protectively around my shoulders, making me blush.

"Kagome, I was—" Mom had opened the door and stopped mid sentence when she saw who was with me. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Friends of yours, Kagome?"

"Sort of," I mumbled.

"I am Carlisle Cullen," Carlisle said, breaking away from the group and approaching my mother. He smiled at her and I suspect my mom was…dazzled by that smile. "This is my family. Your daughter, Kagome, was kind enough to offer us a place to rest…for the moment. We have matters to discuss."

I watched as my mother's eyes roved from beautiful face to beautiful face. I could almost read her mind. How is it that her daughter always finds such strange people?

My mom turned her attention to me. "Of course. Kagome's friends are always welcome here," she said, glancing at Inuyasha. "You can use the living room, Kagome."

I nodded. My mom then left and returned to the kitchen where I could hear Souta and Grandpa immediately bombard her with questions about the visitors. "They're just your sister's friends, Souta," I heard mom say.

"Are they from the Feudal Era, too, like Inuyasha?" Souta asked. At the mention of the words 'Feudal Era', Inuyasha immediately tensed. We had no intention to reveal anything about the Feudal Era to the Cullens but I saw them raise their eyebrows at each other at the sound of my brother's voice.

"Er…" I began hesitantly. "Come in."

- - - - - - - - - -

The door to the living room slid close behind me and I sighed as I stared at the large group in my living room. There wasn't much room for twelve people to fit in. Renesmee was sitting next to Jacob in front of the television, their hands intertwined. They were together, I realized, as I filed this away in my mental filing cabinet. Rosalie stood in a corner while Emmett sat down, cross-legged, at her feet. Alice was kneeling in front of Jasper, who squatted on the floor and still holding his hands to his wrists. Edward and Carlisle kept a firm grip on each of Jasper's shoulders while Bella and Esme knelt against the wall.

I sighed. "Okay, we want answers," Renesmee spoke up. She looked at me as Inuyasha and I knelt in front of them—between them and the door.

"You're not getting them until you answer our questions!" Inuyasha snapped at her. It seemed that he was immune to their beauty and utter perfection.

Renesmee raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I wasn't talking to you—"

"Renesmee," Carlisle reprimanded.

I looked at Renesmee and analyzed her a little. She tried to act the adult, but in truth, she was still just a teenager, like me. So, perhaps she had a little rebellious side to her?

Carlisle turned to me and I saw Renesmee back down, a scowl on her face. "Kagome—may I call you that?" he began.

"Er…it's okay, I guess," I said hesitantly.

Carlisle nodded. "Now…we were wondering if you would explain a little before we explained anything ourselves," he said. From the corner of my eye, I saw Inuyasha tense at Carlisle's request.

I glanced at Inuyasha who, in turn, was glancing at me. "Inuyasha…" I began, my tone sounding a little pleading. Honestly, I was curious about the Cullens. But, still, I couldn't just explain everything to them. For one thing, the secret about the Feudal Era was not mine to give away…I could, no, I _should_ lie…a little.

Inuyasha glared at Carlisle, his brows furrowed. He was about to say something to me, but Edward cut in. "We do not wish to hear lies," Edward murmured, his eyes locked on mine.

I raised my eyebrows. How…how did he know that I was thinking about lying? As though reading my thoughts, Edward smirked at me.

"Edward," Carlisle reprimanded. He turned his gaze toward me, his tone and looks apologetic. "You will have to excuse my son," he went on. "He can't help it when he hears things he shouldn't."

Edward regained the tight expression on his face as Inuyasha and I understood what Carlisle meant. "No," Edward suddenly spoke up. He looked at Inuyasha, his eyes hard. "I can't hear _everything_ Carlisle. Apparently, this demon's aura is blocking me out."

Jacob suddenly spoke up, in English. "You can't read the monster's mind?" I cringed at the word 'monster'. Honestly! They were more monster than Inuyasha…

Carlisle noticed my reaction and immediately realized that I understood English. "Jacob," he said, his voice stern. "We are guests in this home. Show some respect."

"What're they saying?" Inuyasha asked, leaning towards me.

I shook my head. "Nothing important."

Rosalie suddenly cleared her throat, yet she still managed to sound as though she were humming. "Carlisle?"

"Of course," Carlisle said. His manner became more brisk like again. "Kagome…correct? Well, we were wondering why you said you could sense the jewel shard Renesmee has. Renesmee?" Renesmee stood up and flopped down next to Carlisle. From the pocket of her jeans, she drew out a golf-ball sized diamond. My eyes widened when I saw how large a diamond it was. My eyes widened even further when I saw what was in it.

"The jewel shard!" I gasped, unable to contain myself. After all, dangled in front of me was the last jewel shard that we had been seeking for months…

"You recognize it?" Carlisle asked.

"Hell yeah!" Inuyasha shouted. He made a grab for the diamond and the shard, but Renesmee held it out of his way. She was slower than him, but Inuyasha hadn't been expecting her to be able to dodge him—so he was taken off guard.

"Inuyasha," I said, sighing.

"Kagome, the jewel shard!"

"I know that!"

"Then grab it!"

"Let's explain things first, okay?"

"You don't know them! You can't trust them!"

"They deserve to know _something_ before we take it from them!"

"Ha! You heard what Carlisle said—Edward will just read your mind!"

"I know that!"

"So, stop thinkin' about stuff!"

"I wasn't thinking anything! Wait…Are you so smug because Edward can't read _your _thoughts?"

"Control _your_ thoughts, woman!"

"Sit!"

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

The whole thing was pretty funny.

I wondered how Kagome made Inuyasha crash into the ground with one word—'Sit'. For a moment, I wondered what would happen to Jacob if I could do that to him. I was pulled out of my thoughts when Inuyasha rounded on Kagome.

"What was that for?" he roared. He was so loud, I felt my ears pounding. Glancing at Carlisle and the others and judging from the uncomfortable looks on their faces, their ears couldn't take the shouting as well.

"For being such a loud mouth!" Kagome shrieked.

My ears…

Ow.

I looked timidly up at Kagome. "Er…Kagome…do you mind?" I asked her hesitantly.

She gave me a sharp look—a look that was meant for Inuyasha. "What?" she asked, her eyes loosing their sharp look.

"Er…could ya…could ya keep it down?" I asked. I could feel the grateful stares of my family members on my back.

She looked puzzled for a moment. Then, realization lit her eyes. "Oh!" she said. "You have sensitive ears too!"

"And, apparently, so does your demon," Edward said, looking at Kagome then at Inuyasha.

I sighed. Dad had to go and read her mind.

Inuyasha automatically looked enraged. "Control your thoughts, woman!" he roared at Kagome.

Kagome was about to open her mouth to argue back, but Carlisle cleared his throat. "We have no ill will towards either of you," he said calmly. "We merely wish to know what this jewel is." He gently took the jewel from my hands. From the peripheral of my vision, I noticed Inuyasha staring at it.

"You see," Carlisle went on, rolling the diamond in his palm. "This was given to Renesmee by…someone whom I have nearly lost my trust in. We merely wondered if this is dangerous."

Carlisle deposited the jewel back into my hands and, from the corner of my eye, I saw Inuyasha eye it hungrily.

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

I myself wanted to snatch the jewel from Renesmee, but I refrained. I knew one wrong move and we would probably battle these strangers.

I shook my head. "The jewel shard inside that diamond," I began. "It has…" I hesitated. Should I tell them what the true nature of the jewel shard was? Should I? I looked at Carlisle and I noticed that Edward was staring at me analytically. Darn it! I forgot that Edward could read my mind!

As though he heard my frustrated thoughts, which he probably did, the gorgeous teen smirked at me, reminding me that lying was not an option. "The jewel shard," I plodded on. "Is a shard of the legendary Shikon no Tama."

Renesmee's eyes suddenly widened. Somehow, the shocked look on her face looked somewhat humorous. "Shikon no Tama?" she gasped. "Truly? I thought that was just a legend!"

"Oh no," Jacob groaned in a mock tortured voice. "Another Japanese thing." Renesmee spun around and gave him a playful punch on his shoulder.

"Renesmee," Carlisle said. "Care to explain?"

"Well," Renesmee began hesitantly. "I only know a bit about it. When I was doing some research—"

"When you were still annoyingly obsessed over Japan," Jacob corrected.

Renesmee rolled her eyes but I could see a smile on the corners of her mouth. "When I was _researching_," she said, emphasizing the word. "I came across a legend about a jewel rumored to grant any wish."

I nodded. "That's basically it," I said. "But…the jewel was shattered—"

"By you," Edward interrupted.

Renesmee's eyes widened in shock while I gritted my teeth. How annoying! "Yes," I said, trying to swallow my annoyance. "I shattered the jewel, which is why there are shards. Basically, Inuyasha and I are hunting the remaining shards, but we're not alone. There is someone else looking for the shards and that someone, our enemy, has most of them, except that one. It's the last shard that we've been hunting for months."

Ha! I had managed to control my thoughts!

Carlisle nodded. I had a feeling that he wanted to ask something about our enemy, but thought better of it.

"We've told you about the shard," Inuyasha interrupted. "Now, it's your turn to tell us something. Who are you people? No, scratch that, what _are_ you people?"

Carlisle exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Edward while the others, who had all looked bored but who were all listening, shifted in their places. I saw Rosalie frown and Emmett's brows furrow while Bella raised her eyebrows at Esme. Alice, who was still holding Jasper's hands to his wrists, glanced sideways at Inuyasha, annoyance written all over her face, while Jasper…

Was still looking hungrily at me.

"You can start with why that bastard is always looking at Kagome like she's something to eat!" Inuyasha snarled, jerking his thumb at Jasper. Jasper's hands must have finally reconnected themselves to his wrists for his fingers twitched…as though he wanted to wrap them around my throat again. I inwardly shuddered at the memory.

Edward narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, then at Jasper. He sighed. "Carlisle…we can't tell them," he said, sighing.

"Why the hell not?" Inuyasha snapped. "We told you something about the jewel. And now I want one answer from you. _What are you people?_ Why does he look at Kagome as though he's hungry?"

"Carlisle…" Renesmee muttered. "I think we should tell them…"

"Don't be silly, Ness," surprisingly, it was the goddess Rosalie who spoke up. "You know the rules. _No one who isn't involved should know_. You know what the Volturi will do." Her gaze lingered on Bella who frowned thoughtfully, as though remembering something.

"But, Rosalie," Renesmee said. "I mean…Kaogme is involved now, isn't she? I mean…Jasper—"

Suddenly, as though hearing his name triggered him, Jasper suddenly lunged from Alice's grip. Several things suddenly happened in rapid succession as Jasper lunged towards me. Inuyasha and Carlisle quickly stood between me and Jasper while Edward and Emmett grabbed him from behind, tugging him backwards.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha roared.

"We're dreadfully sorry," Carlisle murmured softly. He shook his head and sighed as he looked at Jasper's frenzied expression. "It's just that he finds you…appealing."

"What?" Inuyasha and I both said in unison.

Carlisle sighed again. He turned to Alice, Emmett, Renesmee and Jacob. "Alice, Em, Ness, Jake, please take Jasper outside and wait for us there," he ordered.

The four agreed. Together, they gripped Jasper tightly. They tightened their grip as they passed me and Inuyasha, who quickly drew me to him as soon as he saw Jasper's frantic eyes on my face.

Once the door slid safely closed behind them, I sighed in relief. "Now, what do you mean by he finds Kagome appealing?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, sitting back down, arms still around my shoulders.

Carlisle heard the jealous tone in Inuyasha's voice. His golden eyes strayed to Inuyasha's arm which was still slung around my shoulders. "He doesn't find her appealing in _that_ way," Carlisle explained, shaking his head. "He finds her appealing…" He sighed and didn't finish.

Bella suddenly spoke up. "Carlisle," she said. "I think Nessie was right…We should tell them."

Carlisle closed his eyes for a moment, his brow furrowed as though he were thinking. I wished he would tell me. Tell me what they were; tell me why Jasper acted that way towards me…

I wanted to know.

No, I _yearned_ to know.

Carlisle sighed. "It seems that you yourself," he said, looking at me, then at Inuyasha, "have a secret to protect. We are both the same." He sighed, then frowned, thinking. A moment later, he resumed his train of thought. "Which is why I think the Volturi would be willing to bend the rules just once."

"Yeah, yeah, cut the crap," Inuyasha said.

"Inuyasha!" I reprimanded.

A small smile crinkled the corners of Carlisle's mouth as he regarded Inuyasha. "Yes, we both have secrets."

"Whatever!" Inuyasha said, annoyed. I glared at him.

"So," Carlisle went on. Something told me that he was procrastinating here. "The reason why Jasper finds you appealing is because…he finds your blood…tempting."

Silence reigned in the room for a while.

What did he just say?

That Jasper found my _blood_ tempting?

"What're you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, his tone deprived of all rudeness.

Carlisle let out a breath. "Bella?" he asked, giving the floor to the captivating girl with the mahogany hair.

"What Carlisle means to say," Bella went on. She spoke in English—no matter, I could understand her, being able to speak the language myself. I couldn't say the same for Inuyasha though, who didn't know a word of English—I would have to translate for him later. I looked back at Bella. She paused for a moment, then frowned. She looked up at me, an idea in her eyes. She turned to Carlisle. "Carlisle…We're not sure what the Volturi will think of us informing others about our…existence. Why don't we let the girl guess what we are? That way, we won't be breaking any rules."

"Guess?" I asked.

Carlisle suddenly smiled fondly at Bella. "True," he said. "Go on, Bella."

"Wait just a moment!" I said. "What do you mean you're just gonna let me guess what you are?"

"It'll be safer that way," Carlisle explained.

"Safe?" I asked. He nodded then motioned for Bella to go on.

Bella smiled kindly at me, her face dazzling. "Well," Bella went on. "Let me give you a few clues." Her smile suddenly grew enigmatic. "First, Jasper finds your blood appealing. Second, we are strong and possess speed that so easily surpasses a car. Third, our eyes are an unordinary hue of gold, though I must say your demon's eyes are more beautiful. And lastly…"

Bella suddenly leaned towards me, her smile reassuring. Inuyasha growled at her. "Back off!" Bella, of course, couldn't understand him.

"Inuyasha!" I snapped. I shrugged his arm off. Bella leaned in towards me then very gently, she brushed her fingers against the back of my hand.

I gasped, then shuddered. Her fingers were like ice!

I looked at Bella and the rest of the Cullens, my eyes wide. I frowned to myself, pondering on the clues they had given me. First, Jasper found my blood appealing, second, they possessed inhuman speed and strength, third, their eyes were gold and, lastly, they were cold, like ice.

I frowned, wondering…

Blood, strength, speed, icy skin, gold eyes…

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, slicing through my thoughts.

"Shh," I said, holding up a hand. "I'm thinking." I became aware that the remaining Cullens had looks of amusement on their faces, except for Rosalie who frowned at me.

I really couldn't piece together what they were. The clues just seemed off balance, somehow. I closed my eyes and sighed. I pondered on the clues and decided to cross out the strength, speed and eyes since they seemed like traits a demon would possess and these people weren't demons. I had crushed those out, now what was I left with?

Icy skin…

And the fact that my blood was appealing…

Appealing…

Did demons find blood—human blood—appealing? I thought of Inuyasha, but Inuyasha wasn't all demon—he was part human. He would never willingly partake of human blood. I groped in my mind, looking for another demon.

What about Sesshoumaru?

At the thought of Sesshoumaru, an image of him filled my mind. His cold golden eyes and full demon power…

Crap.

I was thinking of Sesshoumaru and Edward was in the room. Nice. So much for keeping secrets. I opened my eyes and found Edward looking analytically at me. Ah well, Sesshoumaru can more than take care of himself. Now, where was I? Oh, right. Did Sesshoumaru drink human blood as a dietary need? I really didn't think so, not with Rin traveling with him.

So, let's just say that demons didn't drink human blood.

What did?

Found blood appealing…

Had icy skin…

At the thought of icy skin, an image of Kikyou filled my mind. Kikyou had icy skin, because she was dead. But, certainly, she didn't consume human blood—she consumed human souls. The Cullens didn't consume souls…

They consumed blood.

But I found something in common between Kikyou and the Cullens.

They had icy skin.

Okay…Kikyou's skin was cold, not icy, but still…

The lack of warmth…

Wait…were the Cullens…dead? They were not like Kikyou whose body was made out of grave soil and ashes. They could not be like Kikyou, for they looked as though each one of them was carved of marble.

So…

Let's say they _were_ dead…but they weren't like Kikyou…

Icy skin…

An appeal for blood…

No way. I glanced at the window, at the sunlight spilling through, indicating that it was around one in the afternoon.

No, with the sun out, they couldn't be…

Could they?

Carlisle was still looking at me, a pleasant smile on his face while Edward, Bella and Esme had little smiles on their lips—enigmatic smiles, I realized. Only Rosalie's expression looked different. Her lips were drawn together in a firm line, there was a tiny crease between her eyebrows and her arms were folded magisterially across her perfect chest. I chose to ignore her.

Icy skin…

An appeal for blood…

Blood…

Icy skin which meant…death? Let's say it meant death…

Blood…

Death…

My eyes widened as I saw the only possible answer. I glanced at the window, at the sunlight streaming through and decided to ask that question later.

My throat somewhat tight, I stared at Carlisle and the others with wide disbelieving eyes.

"You're vampires," I whispered.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: end of chapter!  
Inuyasha: must we really remind you all to review?**

**Kagome: aw, Inuyasha, you know it's our job to do that!  
Inuyasha: my only job is killing off Naraku and becoming a full demon!  
Kagome: whatever.**

**A1969: er…anyway, please don't forget to review! Oh, and thanks to those who already reviewed the last chapters!**


	4. Nukekubi

**A1969: hmm…it's been weeks, hasn't it?**

**Inuyasha: -rolls eyes- oh, so you're alive now?**

**A1969: shut it, or I'll make Kagome 'fix' you!  
Inuyasha: bring it on!**

**A1969: Kagome!**

**Kagome: what is it? –glares at Inuyasha-**

**Inuyasha: gah! –runs away-**

**A1969: thanks, Kagome. Anyways, thank you all so much for reviewing! Oh, and thanks to that one reader who insist that I update! It's so…rewarding to know that your readers want you to update! Thanks!**

**-o-o-Chapter Four-o-o-**

**Nukekubi**

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

"Is the girl…alright?" Jasper's head was in his hands and his voice sounded pained. I knew what he must be going through—guilt. Pure, undiluted guilt. For so long, uncle Jasper had always thought of himself as the weakest member of the Cullen family due to the fact that, after all these years, human blood still had a pull on him. But now that he had found the one person whose blood he found most appealing—blood he could not resist—and now that he had nearly killed that person, he now saw himself as a bloodthirsty monster.

Alice sighed. We were sitting on either side of Jasper, on a stone bench, underneath a large tree on the Shrine grounds. Emmett was leaning against the tree, his gaze fixed on us. Jacob was staring up at the wide, leafy canopy of the tree, the sunlight filtering through and lighting parts of his tanned skin.

"I'm a monster," Jasper moaned.

"Don't say such a thing, Jasper!" Alice reproached, giving him a light smack on the shoulder.

I inwardly cringed. I did not like seeing any of my loved ones suffer like this. "Jasper…it isn't your fault," I said.

Jasper only moaned. "Everyone has their moments of weakness," I murmured. "Even my father." Bella and Edward had once told me of how they'd met. Bella had said that Edward found the scent of her blood tempting, the same way that Kagome's blood was tempting to Jasper.

"Edward fought himself," Jasper snapped, looking up at me. "He never, not once in his existence, attacked Bella. He wasn't a monster…look at me! I nearly killed that girl!"

"It wasn't your fault," Emmett said, now joining the discussion. "Look at me…I've…given in…twice, even! So, don't say you're a monster, Jasper. How many humans have you killed since joining this family, eh? You sit there, sulking because you _almost _killed that girl, Kagome. Look at me…I've killed twice! And am I moping about it?" Though, he tried to say it carelessly, I could still hear a faint trace of bitterness in his voice.

"Emmett's right," Jacob suddenly said, turning to us. "You didn't kill anyone, Jasper, no need to cry about it."

Jasper buried his face in his hands again.

"Please, Jasper," Alice moaned, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. "You know how I hate seeing you like this." Her own voice sounded pained. It was like that with Alice and Jasper—if one was hurt, so was the other. They were two halves of one whole.

Jasper gently turned his head sideways so their foreheads touched. "I'm sorry, Alice," he said, sighing. "I'm sorry for being weak."

"You're not weak, you idiot!" Alice snapped, smacking him lightly on the shoulder again. "You're one of the strongest people I've met…you just have to learn a little more restraint."

Jasper let out a huff, and then he turned to Alice, a small smile on his face. "At least you're a little monster too, aren't you?" He ruffled her hair affectionately.

Alice smiled and, once more, smacked him playfully on the shoulder. I smiled quietly as I watched them at their antics. If there was anyone who could lighten up Jasper's mood, it was Alice. From the corner of my eye, I saw Emmett return silently to the Higurashi house. I don't think he could take being away from Rose for so long. Presently, I felt Jacob's eyes on me and I stood up, making my way towards him.

"Hey," I said, smiling slightly as I stepped lightly beside him. "Watcha doing?"

I felt his arms wrap themselves around my shoulders, drawing me closer to him. "Just looking up at this tree," he answered.

I looked up at the canopy of the tree and shrugged. "What's so special about it?" I asked as I heard Jasper ruffle Alice's hair again.

I felt Jacob shrugged. "I just…feel calm standing here, you know?"

I closed my eyes, leaning my head against his chest. He was so tall my head reached only up to his shoulders. Closing my eyes, feeling Jacob's warm arms around mine, I couldn't shake off the feeling that he was right. There was something about this tree that just seemed…soothing. Which was probably why Jasper was over his 'I'm-a-heartless-monster' sulk quickly.

"You know what?" I asked, turning in his arms so that I faced him. "You _are _right. I _do _feel calm—it's not because of the tree, though."

He raised his eyebrows. "No?"

Smirking, I raised myself on the balls of my feel and brushed my lips lightly against his. "No," I said again, grinning. "It's because of you."

He grinned and drew me closer to him, pressing his lips to mine. He deepened his kiss and I felt his arms snake around my waist. I became vividly aware of my own arms twining themselves around his neck, drawing him down to me.

"Ahem." Jacob and I pulled away and spun around, almost in synchronization, to find Alice smirking at us, her eyebrows raised, her arms folded across her chest. Jasper only looked disapproving…in a comedic sort of way.

I blushed. "Sorry," I said. It was so easy to get carried away with Jacob sometimes. I'll have to admit—I can't wait till he was no longer my boyfriend. Unfortunately, Edward wanted to see me with a college degree before Jacob and I tied any knots.

Alice shook her head. "Geez, get a room, you two."

Jacob grinned and slung his arm casually across my shoulders, pulling me closer to his warm body. "No thanks," he said, grinning.

Alice wrinkled her nose. "You know Edward doesn't approve of your public displays of affection," she pointed out. "So, don't go thrashing around like a couple of newborns."

Jacob wrinkled his nose. I rolled my eyes affectionately at Alice. "Don't tell me mom and dad didn't act the way we did."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Fine, you got me. Just…keep it low, will ya?" She was saying this with Jasper's hands intertwined tightly with her own. Hands that seemed to give off a faint sparkle as the afternoon sun filtered through the trees and hit her skin…

"Alice, I think you and the others will need to retouch that pancake make-up of yours," I said flatly. Admittedly, I was still somewhat peeved that their skin sparkled like diamonds while mine gave off a faint glow like the moon. Even now, as I stood close to Jacob, my skin glowed so subtly that, earlier in the day, not even Kagome could see it—or maybe she just wasn't paying any attention.

Alice glanced at her hand, her eyebrows rising in surprise, and then she opened her black purse and drew out the can of pancake make-up. She sighed as she turned to Jasper. "I know you don't like it," she began. "And neither do the others, particularly Rose, but we'll have to reapply it. Seems it can't stay too long on our skin."

Jasper sighed in a mock-suffering way. "What a little monster you are, making your loved ones suffer like this." And with that, he ruffled her hair again.

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

No way.

Unbelievable.

Incomprehensible.

The whole affair was…I couldn't even begin how to describe it. I sat there, across the Cullens with my hands folded in my lap, Inuyasha at my side, but at that moment, at that moment when I pieced their arcane clues together, all the feeling drained out of me and my hands felt numb and cold.

They were kidding, right? They possibly couldn't be…I couldn't even think the word.

I looked at the Cullens, my eyes wide with disbelief. I suddenly saw a look cross their faces—for a moment all of them looked…sad. It was as though they thought that I thought of them as monsters, monsters that should be feared. It was as if they thought of themselves as the kind of monsters that didn't want to think of themselves as monsters…but were thought monsters by everyone else.

Looking at the Cullens, I couldn't think of them as…vampires. They looked so…different So…

"Don't even think of the word 'human'," Edward murmured, his voice low, soft.

"What is it, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. "What are they?" Of course, he didn't know what 'vampire' meant. Japan had its near counterpart to the vampire—the nukekubi, a being that is able to detach its head and neck from the lower body so it could seek prey while it left its body vulnerable.

I didn't even register what Inuyasha was saying. My eyes were still glued to Carlisle. No…they couldn't be…

"You're lying," I whispered, still unable to believe them.

Carlisle and Esme's sad smiles were almost identical. Edward's eyes were on Bella's, and Rosalie looked down at the floor, her goddess's face pained.

"You couldn't be—" Before I could finish my sentence, however, the door to the room suddenly slid open and Emmett walked back in. His face was a mask of stone as though he had already heard our conversation which, I reminded myself, he probably did.

"What'd I miss?" he asked as though he hadn't heard the conversation as he took his place back at Rosalie's feet.

Carlisle sighed and didn't bother to answer him. I shook my head. "That's not possible," I said. I glanced pointedly at the window, where the sunlight streamed through, almost touching Rosalie.

The sadness from the atmosphere vanished, as though they found me amusing. "Burned by the sun?" Bella suddenly said.

Edward's eyes gleamed as though he was remembering something pleasant. "Myth," he said.

My jaw dropped. The sun didn't affect them? Of course not—I still refused to believe that they were…vampires.

But then, a tiny voice in my head reminded me. How could they not be what they claimed they were? How could I pretend that these people were not…vampires, when Inuyasha himself was a _half-demon_ with a full blooded _demon_ for a half-brother? How could I pretend that they weren't…vampires when my group of friends came from a different time and was composed of a _demon slayer_, a _lecherous monk with a miniature black hole in his hand, a two-tailed demon cat, _and ayoung_ kitsune?_

Didn't I see enough of the supernatural to believe in one more species of it?

Sure, I did think there was something funny about them in the alleyway (how could there be nothing funny about them, what with Jasper attacking me and reattaching his wrists?). But I really didn't think they could be…vampires.

"Damn it, Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted. "Didn't you hear me?"

I was so lost in thought that I failed to realize that Inuyasha was asking me the same thing over and over again.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I was…thinking." Edward was giving me an amused look as he listened to my thoughts.

"Well, you haven't answered my question yet," he grumbled, removing his arm from my shoulders and folding his arms across his chest. "What. Are. They?"

I bit my lip as I looked at Carlisle. "I'm not sure," I murmured.

Carlisle's smile faded slightly. "You know what we are," he said, sighing. He turned to the rest of his family. "It would be best if we leave now." The others nodded in agreement then Carlisle turned to Emmett. "Is Jasper…?"

"He's fine," Emmett said, answering Carlisle's unfinished question. "Beating himself for…what nearly happened"—his gaze flickered to me for a fraction of a second, then back to Carlisle—"but Alice is with him."

Carlisle nodded then turned to look back at me. "We are sorry for whatever discomfort we have given you," he said. "And, we are sorry for endangering your life. We shall take our leave now."

For some reason, instead of feeling relieved, I felt queasy. I stood up but Inuyasha pulled me back down, slinging his arm tightly across my shoulders, preventing me from rising again. One by one, the Cullens filed passed us. Esme and Bella both gave me apologetic smiles while Rosalie only nodded, her face a mask of stone. Carlisle smiled in a friendly way at me and Edward nodded his head once, then immediately rushed to Bella, who was already out of the room. Emmett was the last person to leave. Before he left, he said to Inuyasha:

"Too bad…I wanted to see how I'd fare against a _demon._"

Inuyasha growled and Carlisle said, "Emmett," with a sigh in his voice.

Emmett then left the room and slid the door close behind him.

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

"We're leaving?" I asked incredulously as I rushed to my family who were just coming out of the house, Jacob at my side. "So soon?"

Edward nodded. "It was for the best…She knows what we are."

"Besides," Bella said, her tone light. "I thought we came to Japan to enjoy ourselves?"

I sighed. As much as I wanted to go back in there and talk to Kagome, they had a point. In truth, I was curious about Kagome—about her demon companion, mostly. I wanted to know if she'd seen anything else that other mortals classified as myths.

Alice was suddenly at my side, Jasper behind her. He still looked somewhat pained, but it would pass as soon as we left the Higurashi Shrine and Kagome behind.

"Okay, people," she said, rummaging through her purse again. "You may not have noticed, but this stuff"—she pulled out the can of pancake make-up and held it out for everyone to see—"doesn't cover us for long. Here, time for a retouch." She tossed the can to Rosalie who groaned as she caught it.

"I am never leaving Forks again," Rosalie muttered as she stared at the can in her hand.

"C'mon already!" Alice complained. "Get on with it so we can go back to the hotel and freshen up."

A minute later, we left the Shrine.

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

"You never answered my question," Inuyasha pointed out. We were in my room. He was sitting on my bed, his legs folded beneath him while I was sitting on my desk, my head bent over a book. I knew that I told him we would return to the Feudal Era now, but, since a group of…vampires were in Tokyo, I thought it best that we remain here, just for one night, to see if nothing (or something) would happen while the Cullens were in town…

It's not that I thought of them as evil—it was just that…as the afternoon had worn off with the departure of the Cullens, my mind had returned to the events of my strange day. Little by little, as the minutes had ticked by, I gradually came to accept that they were…vampires. My mother, after our beautiful visitors had left, even sensed my somewhat disturbed mood so she didn't ask any questions about our god-like guests.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was persistent. The fact that I had changed my mind about going to the Feudal Era only added to his temper. And, as I spun around in my chair to look at him, something suddenly clicked.

Drats! So absorbed was I about the Cullens' revelation, that I had completely forgotten the Sacred Jewel shard with Renesmee…

Thankfully, due to the fact that he was curious about the Cullens, Inuyasha had forgotten, too. Good. I don't think I could take his one hour shouting match if he remembered.

I sighed. "That's because there's nothing to answer," I said, sighing.

Iuyasha rolled his eyes. "Just tell me, won't you?"

I was silent.

"Don't tell me there was nothin' to say!" Inuyasha said. "I heard you say something…and I know that you know what they are! Don't lie to me, Kagome. Your face went all white and there was such a look in your eyes, I wondered if you were going to go into shock! Seeing as you changed your mind about going back to the Feudal Era, you might as well make it up to me and tell me." He folded his arms and pouted.

I raised my eyebrows. "I thought the main reason I was going to the Feudal Era was to be with Sango?" I asked. "So, I won't make it up to you, I'll make it up to her." I didn't want to tell Inuyasha due to his rashness and hotheadedness. If he knew that the Cullens—despite being good people…er…vampires at heart—belonged to an evil species, then I was certain he would act…especially if he found out about the Jewel Shard Renesmee still had.

"'Sides," Inuyasha said. "I can always go back to the Feudal Era and ask Myouga—ask him what creature could have the qualities that they had."

Well, that was true. Myouga would be able to tell Inuyasha just exactly what the Cullens were. I sighed. "The reason I'm not telling you is because you're going to act rashly, like you always do."

"Rashly?"

I nodded. "If I told you what they were, even though they were good, you'd still go after them," I pointed our, gauging his reaction.

"Wait…does that mean that they're…demons?"

"No," I said flatly.

"Then what are they?" Inuyasha was growing impatient, I could tell.

"If I tell you, will you agree to leave the Cullens alone?" I asked.

I saw conflict on his face that lasted for a several seconds, then, "Fine," he agreed. "_But_," he plowed on. "If I think they're dangerous, then I'm hunting them."

I flinched. I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't hunt down the Cullens seeing as they weren't really evil. And as for Jasper finding the scent of my blood appealing…

That was another story.

"Well?" Inuyasha prodded.

I bit my lip. "They're…vampires."

He looked puzzled. "Vampires?"

"The near Western equivalent of the _nukekubi_," I said, referring to the creature that could detach its neck and head from its body in order for it to feed.

"What?!" Inuyasha roared, immediately leaping from my bed and standing up. "The _nukekubi?_"

"I said the _near _Western equivalent," I said, sighing. Inuyasha could be slow. Sometimes.

"I know," Inuyasha snapped, his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga.

"You don't have to worry, the Cullens aren't bad people…vampires," I soothed.

His eyes narrowed at me as though I were incompetent. "I know you said they were good people," he said. "But, unless you didn't know, the nukekubi _feeds _on people!"

My eyes grew wide. I didn't think of that. "But…they couldn't possibly…feed on people…could they? I mean…they were good."

"Still," Inuyasha said. "If you say that they're the near equivalent of the nukekubi…you can't deny that they're still a danger."

I frowned, lowering my eyes to the floor. Inuyasha was right, there was no denying it. I should have seen that the Cullens had a drawback to their supposed 'good side' when I accepted the fact that they were vampires…

But still…

"I don't think they're evil, Inuyasha," I insisted. "I mean…a group with a gentle leader such as Carlisle—"

"Don't let appearances deceive you," Inuyasha reminded. "Still, they're the equivalent of the nukekubi who hunt humans. We have to hunt them down. If you had told me all this earlier, we could've hunted them down already." He glanced at the window, at the coming night. "It's almost dark. If you say they're the near equivalent, they should hunt at night."

I felt a lump in my throat. Hunt the Cullens? Hunt down them and their seemingly gentle leader? I wanted to stop Inuyasha who was already perched at my windowsill, ready to leap into the gathering darkness.

He saw my hesitance and sighed. "Kagome," he said gently, though his tone betrayed a hint of impatience. "If we don't go and…hunt them down, they might wreak havoc on the city. One nukekubi is bad enough…but ten?"

I shook my head. "Renesmee once said that she was half…vampire," I said. "So…that makes it nine?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Just get on my back, will ya? So we can get this whole thing over with."

Oh, I didn't want to be a part of this! The Cullens seemed harmless enough, but the fact that they were vampires…I reminded myself that vampires _did _gorge themselves on human blood, unless, by some miracle, they were vegetarians.

"Inuyasha, we don't really know much about them," I said. "They left before I could ask anything else, remember?"

"Nukekubi and vampires gorge on human blood, don't they?" Inuyasha said. "That's all we need to know. Now, get off your butt and come on…" His voice trailed off and a faraway look came into his eyes.

"Dammit, Kagome!" he suddenly shouted. His shout made me jump from my seat. "That girl Renesmee still has the Sacred Jewel Shard!"

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

"I can't believe you told her what we are, mom," I said to Bella as I flopped onto the bed of our hotel room. We were staying in one of the most expensive hotels in Tokyo. Bella, and me shared a room while Alice bunked with Rosalie in the room on the left side of ours; Jasper and Emmett took a room right across from Alice and Rosalie's room while Jacob and Edward shared the room right across the hall from ours. Esme and Carlisle both shared a room right next to Edward and Jacob's.

"Technically, I didn't tell her," Bella corrected as she began unpacking our stuff. "I made her guess." She slid open the mahogany closet and began hanging clothes with record speed.

"Still, you told her," I said, lying on my side and propping my head on my elbows so I could take a good look at her.

She sighed as she finished hanging the last of the sweaters. "Who said that we should tell her in the first place?" She looked pointedly at me.

"Right," I admitted. Of course, it was my idea to tell Kagome.

"Besides," Bella said. "I don't see why you would bother—we've all agreed to forget the girl and enjoy our month's stay in Japan."

I sighed as I sat up. Truth be told, I wasn't quite willing to forget Kagome. Here was a girl who, like me and my family, had a deep secret to protect. Here was a girl who now knew about the world of vampires that existed alongside her world of demons. Here was an ordinary human girl who could be my friend…

Ever since I was a child, the only friends I've had were the werewolves and other vampires. I've never been close to any of the kids in Forks High School. I attended Forks only this year, registered as the long lost sister of Edward Cullen…which was funny seeing as I was far from being his sister. Of course, Edward, Bella and Alice had already left school to attend Dartmouth…which meant that I was the object of the school's constant stares.

Which also meant that I had no friends.

Which was why I was somewhat reluctant to let the issue of Kagome Higurashi go. For the first time in my life, I could have a friend who was neither vampire nor werewolf, but _human_. I could have an ordinary friend; have ordinary fun that didn't involve Alice's wild ideas. I wanted a friend who could give me at least a _moment_ of normality. Not that I disliked my supernatural life, it was just that I wanted to _try _what it would be like to feel…normal.

And Kagome could give me what I wanted.

So, of course, I didn't want to let go of the issue completely.

"You'll have plenty of other friends, Ness," a velvet voice murmured.

I gasped as I looked up from my musings. I was so absorbed in my thoughts, that I didn't notice Edward standing there, with an arm around Bella's waist, holding her close to him.

I'll admit—there were plenty of times when Edward's mind reading could be more annoying than useful and this was one of those times.

Bella gave him a curious look and he shook his head. "Renesmee was merely considering if it were possible for her to be friends with the girl Kagome," he said, answering her thoughts. In the years that had passed since Bella had become a newborn, she had gained more control over her mental shield. Now, she could willingly lift that shield completely from her, so as to allow Edward to read her thoughts.

Bella gave me an understanding look. "Ness, you can have plenty of friends in Forks," Bella said.

I shook my head. "You know I don't fit in anywhere there," I pointed out. "They all stare at me like…I dunno, like I've got a huge sign on my head or something."

"We know you want to have a moment's normality," Edward said. "But the reason Carlisle decided to leave the girl Kagome alone is for her own safety." He was, of course, referring to Jasper's addiction to Kagome's blood.

I lowered my voice so no one else would hear but us. "_Jasper_ is the one who hankers after her blood, not _me_," I said.

Edward gave me a small smile. "Still," he said. He shook his head then began leading Bella toward the door. "Freshen up, Ness, Carlisle asked us to gather round." With that, he and Bella left the room.

There was a room beside Carlisle and Esme's that we decided to use as a sort of room where we would gather. This was the disadvantages of staying in a hotel—there weren't enough rooms. Which was why, according to Edward, Carlisle planned to buy a house on the very outskirts of far Western Tokyo which was occupied by the district of Nishitama. Though most of the area was mountainous and unsuitable for urbanization, Carlisle chose that area because it was mountainous. In fact, the location he was eyeing was Hinohara, a municipality in the Nishitama district. From what I'd gathered of Hinohara, it was a village with a population of around three thousand. It also lay in the mountainous upper reaches of the Akigawa. Ninety-three percent of the area, according to Edward and the others, was forest—which made it the perfect hunting ground.

Though, why Carlisle would bother building a house in Tokyo when we would be staying for only a month, was beyond me.

Speaking of hunting ground…

I was _thirsty_. I needed to hunt. Soon. I would inform Carlisle later, during our little meeting.

I sighed as I jumped off the bed and began freshening up. I changed into a blue sleeveless shirt and a pair of flared jeans. As I folded my old jeans to put into the hamper, my fingers closed in around something hard and round…

Shoot. I reached into the jeans' pocket and pulled out the diamond containing the Sacred Jewel Shard.

I had forgotten to hand it over to Kagome…

For a moment, I had a vision of Inuyasha and Kagome tracking me down to this hotel, to this very room just to retrieve this jewel. I shuddered as I remembered how easily Inuyasha had severed Jasper's hands—as easy as though he was cutting through cheese…

I stared at the jewel for a moment, my mind wandering…

"Ness?" There was a knock on the door, followed by Jacob's husky voice. "Ness, you in there?"

"Yeah," I called out. "I'll be out in a minute."

I tucked the jewel into my jeans' pocket and left the room. Jacob was waiting for me outside, his smile wide as he took in my new apparel.

"Nice," he said, winking.

I rolled my eyes at him as he slung his arms around my shoulders and steered me to the other room where everyone else waited.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"So, what's the agenda for today, Doc?" Jacob asked as he plopped down on the red velvet couch, pulling me down beside him.

Carlisle was standing at the window, staring at the growing darkness; Esme was sitting on the chair in front of us while Bella and Edward took the loveseat next to Esme, hands intertwined. Jasper was lounging by the door, Alice at his side while Emmett sat on the arm chair nearest the television, with Rosalie sitting on the chair's arm, one arm around Emmett's shoulders.

Carlisle sighed, then turned his attention away from the window, letting the curtain fall back across it. "I was thinking of purchasing a house in the Nishitama district," he began. "It's mountainous and forested—it's perfect for…us. I considered purchasing or building a house there for our stay, but—"

Uh-oh. The 'but' could only mean one thing.

"Carlisle…are we going to leave?" I asked timidly. Of course, with what had happened with Jasper and Kagome, I'm sure that Carlisle would want to leave in order to protect Kagome. It wasn't that he didn't trust Jasper…it was just that when you found someone whose blood was your brand of heroin, as Edward had once put it, it was always hard to resist. Edward was the only person in the family—aside from Carlisle—who had managed to overcome it.

Carlisle let out a long sigh. I saw his eyes dart to Jasper for a fraction of a second, then back to me. "It is a possibility, Ness," he admitted.

"We don't have to leave, Carlisle." Jasper must have picked up the disappointment in my emotions. "I'll keep away from the girl. I'm sure Alice will help me with that."

Alice looked up Jasper and smiled. "Of course I can," she agreed, smiling. "I can think of a million ways on how to distract you."

Carlisle frowned. He was about to say something, when Alice beat him to it. "I really don't see anything happening, you know," Alice said peevishly.

Alice's vision had Carlisle reassured. "Alright, then," he said, somewhat reluctantly though, I noticed. "So then I'll push through the building of the house."

"Carlisle," Bella suddenly spoke up. "Is that even necessary? I mean, won't the hotel do? After all, we'll only be staying for a month."

"Bella, love," Edward said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "The location is perfect for…us. Mountains, forest, wildlife…"

"Mountain lions galore," Bella continued, rolling her eyes and smiling. "I guess you're right." It was amazing what Bella would agree to whenever Edward was touching her—it was almost scary.

Carlisle nodded. "Alright, I'll just tell Nakamura Saito to start building then," he said.

The warm heat from Jacob's hand around mine suddenly reminded me of the burning ache in my throat. "Carlisle?" I spoke up, somewhat hesitant.

Carlisle, whose fingers were about to dial a number on his phone, froze and looked up. "Ness?" he asked.

"I was wondering if Jacob and I…could hunt?" At the word 'hunt' everyone, whose thoughts were obviously wandering, looked up at Carlisle. Emmett looked eager, Rosalie looked wary, Edward analytic, Bella curious, Jasper…hesitant and Alice excited.

"Mmm…" Emmett said, sarcastically. "Asiatic black bears, Misaki horses and wild boars…yum." To Emmett, who was used to grizzlies and the like, those kinds of prey would be too tame.

Carlisle and Edward frowned in unison. "You are thirsty already?" the former asked to which I nodded. He turned to Edward. "You could drive to Mt. Mito with her, Edward," Carlisle suggested. "That way you could see the land I intend to purchase for our use."

I glanced at Edward, whose eyes were still a honey-gold color. "Carlisle, Jacob and I can go on our own," I said. I wanted to be alone with Jacob for once. "After all"—I glanced around the room, my eyes locking onto the eyes of each of my family members' for just a fraction of second—"no one's thirsty. You all might as well enjoy Tokyo's night life."

Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "No," he said flatly. He looked at Jacob. "It's not that I don't trust you Jacob, but…"

But, seeing as how old-fashioned he could be at times, he didn't like it if I wandered away with Jacob…alone. Typical dad.

"Mom," I said, sighing and rolling my eyes at Bella.

Bella's eyes darted to Edward, then to me. "I agree with your father," she said, sighing.

I rolled my eyes defiantly and Jacob squeezed my hand in a 'looser-being-comforted' sort of way. "Oh, please," Alice suddenly spoke up, rolling her eyes which had obviously seen something we all hadn't. "They're going to be fine, Edward. No need to be overbearingly overprotective. And as for your _main_ concern…well, Nessie's the kind of girl who knows what she should be and what she _shouldn't be_ doing with Jacob."

Nice, Alice, really blunt that one. I blushed violently, feeling the gaze of each member of my family on my face. The room was oddly quiet after Alice's little declaration…

I looked up and my eyes unwillingly met Emmett's. Bella, sensing an innuendo from Emmett, immediately spoke up, probably taking pity on me, I decided.

"You heard Alice, Edward," Bella said, sighing. "They'll be perfectly fine. Now, let them go, Nessie must be getting very uncomfortable by now."

Edward, who was inclined to do anything Bella told him, sighed in defeat. He glanced at the clock on the wall which said that the time was six-thirty. "Be back by eleven," he ordered.

I grinned and immediately jumped off the couch. "Great! Eleven's plenty of time to run through Tokyo." Of course, seeing as we just arrived, I didn't expect a car, but I didn't mind, seeing as I'd rather run than drive. And, with my half-vampire speed and Jacob's werewolf agility, we could be back in no time.

Edward raised an eyebrow then tossed something small and metallic to Jacob. I heard its muffled metallic ring as Jacob caught it in the palm of his hand.

"Bring her back on time, understood?" Edward ordered. He was the protective parent type.

As Jacob and I left the room, I heard Rosalie chuckling softly behind us. "We didn't have this kind of problem when she was still a baby!" she said, her laugh like the gentle bubbling of a brook.

"I agree," Edward said, sighing.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"What did Edward give you?" I asked Jacob as the elevator doors opened in front of us with a musical chime.

Jacob grinned and dangled something in front of my face. My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Car keys?" Really…we hadn't been in Japan for a _day_ and already Edward had a car? Really…this was somewhat exaggerated.

"Not just _any_ car, Ness," he replied, sounding insulted. "These, my dear, sweet, Ness, are the keys to a Lexus LF-A Roadster." He sounded reverent. "More than 330 kilometers per hour, ultra-sleek design…"

We were in the elevator by then. It was empty and the lack of other people only encouraged Jacob to continue on his rant, as though he were a salesman.

"_Hope_ he got a red one," Jacob was saying as the elevator doors closed with a ting. "Can't wait to get my hands on—"

Before he could finish his sentence, I wound my arms around his neck and raised myself on the balls of my feet to kiss him.

"Shut up," I murmured, brushing my lips lightly against his.

I looked up at him; he was looking down at me with desire in his eyes. Then, he held me tighter in his arms as he leaned his head towards me and kissed me. "Gladly."

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

I can't believe Inuyasha was really going to do this.

He and I stood in the decorative garden of one of the most expensive hotels in Tokyo. We were standing just behind a large Acacia tree, its shadow covering us. The garden of the hotel was extremely elegant, making me think of the illustrious gardens in Feudal Japan, but with a more modern twist. Arches wreathed in vines covered the stone pathway that led up to the pavilion. All around us, flowers bloomed, their bright colors muted by the darkening sky.

I looked at Inuyasha, who was looking up at the hotel, a hard look in his eyes. He had said that the Cullens were here. At the thought of the Cullens, my hands suddenly grew cold and I had a most peculiar sensation in my stomach—as though a block of ice had dropped into it, making its cold spread throughout the rest of my body.

"Inuyasha…are you sure about this?" I asked, knowing the answer.

He turned to me, his eyes hard. "Kagome, we've discussed this," he said, somewhat reassuringly. "The Cullens are a danger—they feed on humans. We might as well destroy them when we take that Jewel Shard."

I cringed. His words were so…blunt.

"Besides," Inuyasha continued, turning back to the hotel where guests came and went as they pleased. "I don't know why you care so much about them—you barely even know them."

True. Why _did_ I care about what happened to them? Why should I care about a bunch of beautiful strangers? Was it because they looked so…human? Or was it because they were just…alluring? Whatever the reason, it didn't help our task ahead of us.

Destroying the Cullens, as Inuyasha put it.

Again I shuddered. Maybe I wasn't concerned about them, but about Inuyasha. Truth be told, we were horridly outnumbered. There were ten of them and two of us. Where was the logic in that? Though Inuyasha had reassured me that he could handle it (which I don't think he could, not on his own) I still felt as though we were headed into a suicide mission. Still, I knew that the Cullens should be…dealt with, for the sake of the humans, at least.

"It's them," Inuyasha suddenly said. He suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me a little away from the tree, so that a gentle breeze blew in our direction. I suddenly sensed a Sacred Jewel Shard and I struggled to pull Inuyasha back completely behind the tree.

"Inuyasha, we'll be seen," I whispered, trying to make my voice low as possible, but with the hustle and bustle of the coming and going guests, I don't think any of the Cullens could have heard us.

"Stay downwind," Inuyasha muttered. "So they don't pick up our scent." He squinted into the distance and I followed his gaze. Just coming out of the hotel lobby were the girl named Renesmee and the boy Jacob. They were holding hands and Renesmee was giggling as Jacob led her to the hotel parking lot. They looked so…one. So right for each other. For a moment, I was a little distracted as I watched the way they moved—almost in synchronization.

"It's just them," Inuyasha murmured to me, keeping his voice low. "Where are they going?" He snorted. "Doesn't matter. We'll just have to pick them off one by one."

I felt a chill go up my spin as he said his words. It would be a lot helpful if he were a little less blunt. Inuyasha and I continued to watch as Renesmee and Jacob vanished into another pair of grand double doors which led to the basement parking. A moment later, a red sports car—I couldn't make out its model, as I wasn't big on cars—came zooming out of the garage at a speed that certainly was not allowed had anyone had the guts to reprimand the owner of the clearly expensive car.

"Get on, Kagome." Inuyasha crouched to the ground so I could get on his back. I hesitated then climbed onto his back, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. As always, my strong hold didn't bother him. I locked my legs into place around his waist and, in a flash, he darted through the hotel's mini forest and over the wall of the hotel.

I felt the air rushing past me, throwing Inuyasha's hair into my face occasionally. He jumped onto the roofs of the buildings to keep out of sight, all the while keeping the red car in his sights.

"Where're they going?" I asked.

"Who knows?" Inuyasha said. I felt him shrug beneath me as he leapt over the gap between two buildings. "Probably off to hunt." There was disgust in his voice. He leapt across a few more buildings, keeping the red car beneath us. The many lights on the highway almost made it impossible for me to distinguish the red car, but Inuyasha had no problem with it. I looked down at the highway, at the speeding headlights and saw one that seemed out of place due to the fact that it was driving much too fast…

"Is that them?" I asked, nodding my head towards the highway, at the pair of headlights that zipped passed the others.

"Yes."

I looked back down at the highway. The wind was blowing high above the buildings, blowing our scent away from the two occupants of the car. I sighed. Were they really evil? Sure, they were…close to being nukekubi, but _were_ they evil?

"They're stopping," Inuyasha suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

My gaze flickered to the highway where a red car suddenly parked close a local pharmacy. "What're they doing there?" I asked as Inuyasha stopped on the roof a low building. He raised his head and his hair whipped at my head.

"Good," he said. "We're downwind. Hold on tight, Kagome." Without further warning, Inuyasha jumped over the edge of the building and into a dark alleyway. I gave a tiny squeal as I felt the air rush passed me.

"Inuyasha!" I hissed.

"Shh!" he snapped as he landed neatly on the ground. He lowered himself to the ground so I could hop off his back. He jerked his ahead across the street where I could make out the red sports car. This part of the highway was fairly silent, with fewer cars passing by. No wonder, it was the road that led to the western outskirts of Tokyo.

"Hurry back, Ness!" Jacob's voice was so loud, I could practically hear it across the street. I watched as Renesmee got of the car and walked towards the pharmacy. Her step was so light, so graceful that it would have reduced professional ballerinas to tears.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks, her head slowly turning in our direction…

Inuyasha quickly grabbed me and hid me behind him, at the same time, pushing us both back into the dark alleyway and behind a dumpster.

"Be very quiet." Inuyasha's voice was hardly more than a whisper and I was sure that Renesmee would have heard it had it not been for a large truck that rumbled passed.

Renesmee's head was still tilted towards us. "What is it, Ness?" Jacob was speaking in loud English, probably feeling reassured that none of the people passing by could understand him.

Renesmee answered in a voice too low for me to hear. I thought about asking Inuyasha what she said, but, of course, he wouldn't be able to understand her, seeing as she answered Jacob in English. She then made her way towards the pharmacy with a certain grace that made several men stop and stare at her. She wasn't extraordinarily beautiful as the rest of her family, but she was still quite something to look at.

A minute later, Renesmee came back out, carrying something small and rectangular in her hands.

"Wet ones?" Jacob asked, sounding incredulous. "Yeesh, Ness, after all these years of hunting, you're still using _wet ones_?"

I felt my blood slow down in my veins. What did he say? Several cars had passed by and I might have heard wrong, but did he just say 'hunting'?

"Aw, c'mon, Ness, blood is a very flattering color on you."

_My_ blood completely froze in my veins.

"Can it, Jake!" Renesmee chided as she glanced around quickly. Of course, the people who could speak English would think that Jacob was just making a crude remark, but I knew better…

"What did they say?" Inuyasha asked as Renesmee got into the car.

I didn't answer him, I was too caught up in…in everything. I couldn't organize my thoughts—I didn't _know_ what to think. Renesmee, Jacob, hunting, blood…those were the only words that made sense in my head at the moment…

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was somewhat panicked as he placed both his hands on shoulders, about to shake me out of it. His voice brought me back to my senses.

"Y-you're right, Inuyasha," I said slowly, as I looked at up at him.

"Kagome?" he asked, definitely panicked now, at seeing the look on my face (wonder what I looked like? Scared out of my wits, maybe).

My voice was low and strained as I spoke up again. "We're going to have to hunt them."

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: how long has it been since I last updated? Urgh! I'm really sorry for the late updates…It's just that I'm busier than usual, lately, I won't even bore you all with the details, but the busyness involves paper, trig tables and a lot of midnight oil to burn…**

**Kagome: you know, you do look as though you need a good night's sleep.**

**Inuyasha: urgh, you should look at yourself in a mirror.**

**A1969: oh, shut up. Anyway, sorry for the late update! And thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter and to those who read it as well! Oh, and don't forget to review! Please and thank you!**


	5. Entrusted

**A1969: whew! It's been eons, hasn't it?  
Inuyasha: if there's a length of time that goes beyond eons, that's it.**

**A1969: I'm really sorry about that—I've been oh so busy lately, rehearsing for dance class, homework and stuff. And hunting for colleges…-groan-**

**Kagome: we understand and we forgive you.**

**A1969: thanks! Anyway, thank you all so much for reviewing and I do hope no one's terribly mad. Oh and, thanks to the reader who sent me a p.m. saying I should update. It's really nice to know someone wants to know what happens next!**

**-o-o-Chapter Five-o-o-**

**Entrusted**

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x**

Jacob was driving like mad.

He was enjoying the car immensely. One of his large hands was wrapped around the steering wheel; his other arm was wrapped around my shoulders. A small smile pulled at the corners of my mouth as we sped by the streets, horns blaring after us. Nothing they could do about it, though—we were going much too fast for them to take a good look at the car or the license for that matter. I glanced at Jacob, whose eyes were fixed on the road, a manic glint in them. A glint caused by the car.

I liked seeing him smiling. It was just so…wonderful, seeing someone you loved happy.

He looked down at me. "What're you looking at?" he asked, playfully ruffling my hair with the hand around my shoulder.

I shrugged. "Nothing," I said innocently. "I just like seeing you happy, that's all." He kissed my forehead.

Presently, Jacob's manic driving got us to the town of Okutama. It was seven thirty. "Geez, Jake," I reprimanded as we zipped by the Korikawa Intermediate School. "Slow down."

"You're thirsty," he pointed out. "Which means we have to go faster." And he pressed his foot down on the accelerator. For a moment, I was touched at his thoughtfulness.

"Jake, you might hit someone," I said, though, of course, that was highly impossible, but still…

He let out a sigh and decreased the speed from the maximum three hundred and thirty to one hundred. "Happy?"

"Yes," I said. Then, seeing the somewhat down look in his eyes, I added, "Aw, c'mon, Jake, even _Edward _doesn't drive at three hundred and thirty."

"That's 'cause Bella doesn't let him," he pointed out, grinning.

"True," I agreed, snuggling closer to him. "And neither will I let you."

"Your wish is my command," he said, smirking. I blushed then focused my gaze on the road. We drove out of Okutama and into the Hinohara municipality. I glanced out the window as we zipped by the town towards Mt. Mito. The mountain loomed high above us and I felt excitement course through me. I was always excited when I was about to hunt, and hunting in an unfamiliar place only made me even more excited.

We reached the base of Mt. Mito and Jacob parked the car underneath the looming beech trees. We both got out and the wind whipped around us. I hurried to his side and grinned as the wind rustled in the treetops. It was dark, but with my eyes, it only looked as though there was a change of color than of lighting.

Jacob grinned at me. We both looked up at the looming mountain, at the beech and pine trees. The wind moaned softly and I could hear pheasants taking flight due to our presence.

I grinned back at him. "The one with the biggest catch wins?" I asked.

His grin widened. "Absolutely."

With that, we darted off into the night.

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

Where were they headed?

We had followed them as far as Okutama and now, they were headed towards Hinohara. Well, I've never been to Hinohara, but I do know that it isn't as densely populated as Tokyo. I also know that most of the area is mountainous and virtually unfit for human habitation. Why did they come here? Surely…if they wanted humans…Tokyo would've been a better place?

But then, I said to myself, they'd surely want to go somewhere where murders wouldn't attract unwanted attention…right?

"Kagome," Inuyasha said.

I looked up. The red car we had been following drove to the outskirts of Hinohara.

"Why would they want to go to Mount Mito?" I asked aloud. "There're hardly any humans there…"

"Who cares?" Inuyasha whispered as he stopped behind a few boulders. The wind blew in our direction, keeping our scent away from Renesmee and Jacob. "They're up to something and that's all that matters!"

"Sh!" I hissed. "Not so loud." At that moment, the wind moaned and the car we had been following parked beneath a couple of beech trees. We watched as Renesmee and Jacob got out of the car and stared up at the mountain before them.

"Does she have the Sacred Jewel Shard?" Inuyasha whispered softly, speaking only when the wind moaned.

I glanced at Renesmee. "Yes," I affirmed. "It's in her jeans pocket…the right one."

"Got it."

We turned our gaze back to Renesmee and Jacob.

"The one with the biggest catch wins?" Renesmee was saying.

"Absolutely," Jacob agreed. They darted off into the dark.

Huh?

Biggest catch?

Were there even any humans living on Mount Mito?

"Let's follow them, Kagome," Inuyasha said, crouching low to the ground so I could get on his back.

"Inuyasha," I said, "something's not right here…"

"Of course not," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "You're still standing there—that's not right now, is it? C'mon, Kagome, what're you waiting for?"

I rolled my eyes and climbed onto his back. A second later, we darted off into the forest.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"This way," Inuyasha muttered, his nose in the air. I glanced around me. The trees threw shadows everywhere and the moonlight that managed to filter through the few trees gave the forest an eerie look. I shuddered. The eerie look and feel seemed to suit our dark task.

I was already starting to have misgivings. Inuyasha had his Tessaiga out, his eyes narrowed at the trees, his senses on full alert. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, after all, not with me utterly useless without my bow and arrows…

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said, staring at me. "C'mon."

"Right." I followed him through a gap in the trees, my heart thudding violently. I was just so…nervous about this. I mean, we were talking about hunting down two teenagers, for Pete's sake! Who wouldn't be nervous?

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, turning to me, a slightly annoyed look in his eyes. But there was another look there, a look I couldn't quite make out…what was it?

"Yes?" I answered.

"Try to keep calm, will ya?" he said. "I can hear your heartbeat."

I blushed. "You…you can hear?"

He rolled his eyes. "Duh," he said quietly. But then, his eyes softened. He looked up at me. "It's…well, it's one of the most soothing sounds to me, okay?" he went on.

I blushed even deeper. This didn't seem like the right time for one of _those _conversations. "Wh…what do you mean?"

He looked away, his eyebrows narrowed in that gruff manner of his. "When I can't sleep, I…I count your heartbeats," he admitted, suddenly very sheepish.

My face felt as hot as flame. "Oh," I said, trying to hide how pleased—and flattered—I was. "Um…well, I dunno what to say to that. I guess I'd say the same thing if it weren't for the fact that I can't hear—"

"Kagome, get behind me!" Before I could even blink, Inuyasha was suddenly in front of me, his Tessaiga held tightly in his grasp, his eyes narrowed dangerously and a growl erupting from his throat. He was staring at a figure emerging from the shadow of the trees.

I gasped as a growling russet colored wolf emerged from the darkness.

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

I always loved hunting. I loved the warm, soothing blood of my prey as it cooled the agonizing thirst in my throat. I enjoyed the fact that when I hunted, I didn't have to hide what I was.

The burning in my throat dulled as I felt the warm blood of the wild boar slide down my throat. Finally, I thought I was never going to be able to get rid of that painful burn. Well, actually, it was still there, but it was manageable at least.

I pulled back from my prey and pulled out a few wet ones from the pack in my pocket. I wiped the small traces of blood from my mouth. I was getting pretty good at this. I didn't stain my clothes anymore, a marked improvement, in my opinion.

Looking at the boar I had caught, I frowned to myself. Hm…it wasn't big enough. Surely, Jacob would have caught something bigger?

I closed my eyes and let my senses range out. I could hear the slightest movement of the insects in the far distance. A few yards from where I stood, a small band of ants marched in synchronization, one of them carrying something heavy (the said ant made a different sound when he scuttled on the ground). In the far east, a wild boar along with her young were burrowing themselves in the leaves, trying to settle in for the night, I guess.

No thanks. I didn't like hunting down young prey. I didn't know why. Must be a glitch in my brain. I focused again…

Not far from where I was, I heard a familiar growling, followed by a gruff and familiar voice which, in turn, was followed by a high-pitched girlish voice.

I opened my eyes. That growl was the growl of a wolf…

A wolf I knew well.

Faster than the eye could blink, I darted off into the trees.

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

It was huge.

Was it even a wolf? It might have been a weird mutant of some sort because I have never seen a wolf this big before. It was almost as tall as an Arabian horse, but not quite. Its fur was a russet color and there was something that seemed…authoritative about the way it stood before us. It growled at Inuyasha as it eyed the sword he carried.

"Will you look at that," Inuyasha said. "Have any of Kouga's wolves reached _that _size?"

"No." I was still surprised.

The wolf growled at us again, as though in warning. It took a step forward and Inuyasha growled, not in warning, but in threat. As my eyes took in its massive form, I noticed something attached to its legs…

A pair of shorts and a shirt on a cord?

Before I could even point it out to Inuyasha, he suddenly took a step backward, closer to me. "She's coming," he muttered.

'She' could only mean one person.

A second passed and then a dark blur sped from the north end of the clearing to stand beside the wolf. Her curly bronze hair swayed softly in the breeze and her chocolate brown eyes were narrowed, first in warning, then in puzzlement. Moonlight danced off her pale skin, giving her an almost ethereal look.

"Kagome," Renesmee said, her tone puzzled. "What are you…doing here?" Her eyes locked in on Inuyasha, who only tightened his grip on his sword.

"We're here to get the Shikon Jewel Shard!" Inuyasha roared.

For a moment, Renesmee looked confused, then she—to our surprise—laughed. "That's all?" she asked, laughing.

"Obviously," Inuyasha said. I glanced at him. Didn't he just say that we should hunt the Cullens down? What had happened to make him change his mind?

Giggling, Renesmee pulled out the diamond from her jeans pocket and tossed it to Inuyasha who caught it in his hand.

"There you go," she said. "Sorry if I forgot to hand it over this afternoon, Kagome."

I was puzzled. What had happened? Inuyasha changed his mind about the Cullens? I felt relief welling up inside me, followed by bewilderment.

"Wait a minute," I said, eyeing Renesmee. "Wasn't Jacob with you…?"

She blinked at me then glanced at the russet wolf which growled softly at her. "Aw, jeez, Jake, no harm in telling them," she said, sighing. "This _is_ Jacob."

It was my turn to blink. Did she just say…that the _wolf_…was _Jacob_? Even Inuyasha was at a loss for words.

"Wait…the wolf…is…Jacob?" I asked, stunned.

She grinned. "Yep," she said, almost proudly. Jacob growled at her, reprimanding her. "He's a shape shifter, you see, before I was born, Bella called him a werewolf."

O…kay…

This was getting strange. First off…why wasn't Renesmee as cautious about me and Inuyasha as the rest of the Cullens were? She was…strange. No doubt about it.

As these thoughts filtered through my mind, the russet wolf suddenly leapt for the trees at the west side of the clearing.

"Oh, don't worry about him," Renesmee said, noticing that Inuyasha was glaring after Jacob. "He'll be back. He just went off to change." She sighed. "He wants to talk to me, it seems. I already know what he wants to say, so why bother…?"

A few moments later, Jacob returned to the clearing, wearing his jeans and the shirt that I saw strapped to the cord on his leg earlier. He looked annoyed.

"Ness," he said. "What're you thinking? You can't go around giving information like that!" He didn't sound angry. Instead, he sounded like a parent fondly reprimanding a favorite child.

"Aw, Jake, we all know they're harmless!" she said. "Just chill."

"But—"

"If you two don't mind," Inuyasha interrupted, stowing his Tessaiga into its sheath. I was shocked that he would keep it in their presence. "Kagome and I are leaving."

"Oh, you guys don't want a ride?" she asked.

"No," Inuyasha said.

Renesmee's eyes suddenly widened in amazement. "Oh!" she cried out, excited. "You just _ran_ here didn't you? Wow! How fast do you think you were going, Inuyasha? Jacob was going three hundred and thirty for most of the journey, so…?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, instead, he took my arm and led me out of the clearing. "Inuyasha!" I reprimanded. "Don't be rude." I planted my feet firmly on the ground to stop him. "Renesmee asked you a question!" We both turned to look at the half-vampire, whose eyes were slightly puzzled at Inuyasha's rudeness.

Inuyasha frowned. "We don't have time to waste."

"Then just apologize for being rude!" I said.

"Let's go, Kagome, we got the shard, let's go," he said.

"Just apologize, Inuyasha!" I said.

"No," he said flatly. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You were being rude!"

"Keh!"

"Just apologize, please," I said.

"Why should I?"

"Because you were being rude," I snapped, angry now. "And besides, the way you left without even answering Renesmee's question was so like…" I didn't bother to finish. Inuyasha was certain to get mad if I finished my sentence.

"So like...?" he prompted.

"Never mind. Just apologize, then we'll leave."

"So like…?" he persisted.

"Just apologize."

"So like…?" he repeated, impatient.

"So like Sesshoumaru, got it?!" I snapped. "You know, the way he walks away without saying anything? Yeah, like that!"

He glared. "Don't compare me to that bastard!" he roared, spit flying from his mouth.

"Hey, watch it!" I shouted. Argh! He was so infuriating sometimes!

"Um…Kagome?" Renesmee's voice pulled me and Inuyasha out of our shouting match. I nearly forgot that we had an audience.

I relaxed. Calm down, Kagome. "Um, sorry about that," I said, sighing. "I guess I'll just apologize for Inuyasha. Sorry for Inuyasha being so rude earlier."

"That's quite alright," she reassured. "I was just wondering if you would…not tell anyone anything about me or my family?"

"Of course not," I said. "Besides, who would believe me if I told them?" I grinned at her and she grinned back. She looked very lovely when she did it. Though, Renesmee was nothing compared to Bella, Alice or Rosalie, she still had her looks, alright.

"Wait a minute…why the hell are we wasting time, talking about trifles, Kagome? Let's go!" He crouched on the ground so I could climb on his back.

I sighed. Inuyasha could be so unpredictable at times. I turned back to Renesmee. "See you around, I guess," I said as I clambered on Inuyasha's back.

Her eyes sparkled. "Definitely…" She was about to say more, but before she could continue, Inuyasha darted off.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Inuyasha," I said as we neared Tokyo. I could make out the lights from the outskirts of the city.

"Hm?"

"I was wondering," I continued. "Why didn't you…attack Renesmee and Jacob?"

He was silent. He didn't answer until we entered the city. He jumped onto a building, the wind whipping his hair in my face, as always, but I didn't mind. His hair was so soft.

"I didn't kill them," he suddenly said, after a moment's pause, "because we were mistaken." He ran passed my school with such speed that everything around us was almost a blur.

"Mistaken?"

"They weren't hunting humans," he said, sighing. "We…actually, _I_, jumped to a hasty conclusion."

"But…how did you know they weren't hunting humans?" I asked. If they weren't really hunting humans then that meant that they weren't evil. And the fact that they weren't evil opened up a whole new range of possibilities.

"Renesmee had just finished hunting," Inuyasha explained as he jumped into the courtyard of our Shrine. "When she first entered the clearing, there was the scent of blood all over her"—I inwardly shuddered at that—"but the longer she stood there, the more I realized that the scent of blood wasn't human—it was animal."

"Oh!" I said, surprised. "She was hunting an animal? She's a vampire, but she's hunting _animals_? How queer. But that's a good thing, though." I gingerly clambered off his back and stared up at the sky. It was probably around ten already or maybe even eleven.

"Here." Inuyasha tossed me the Sacred Jewel shard. I caught it and pocketed it, sighing happily. Finally, after many months of searching, we had the last shard of the Sacred Jewel…

"Get some sleep, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "Tomorrow, we're heading to the Feudal Era."

I grinned. "Right."

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

"You ran into the Kagome girl?" Bella asked, somewhat shocked.

It was eleven thirty. Jacob and I had just returned from hunting thirty minutes later from the time Edward told us to return. Though he wasn't pleased about it, he was more displeased to hear of our encounter with Kagome Higurashi.

"And what happened?" Esme asked. She was standing by the window of the same hotel room we used to gather in.

"Nothing at all," I said, shrugging. "As you all can see, I am virtually scratch free."

Edward's mouth was set in a thin line. "I should have gone with you."

"I am fine, Edward," I said, sighing. "Nothing happened. No need to panic."

He glanced at Jacob. "So you gave them the Jewel shard?" he asked.

"Yes," I sighed.

"And—"

"Edward, _please_," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "_Nothing _happened, okay? She's fine, he's fine, no need to launch a full blown police investigation."

He glared at her.

"Still, what happened was—"

I interrupted his talk with a large yawn. "I'm off to bed, if you all don't mind."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Where was I?  
_

_I didn't know._

_The place was beautiful. Cherry trees pink with Sakura swayed softly in the breeze, their perfume permeating the air. Pine trees were arranged delicately into the background, their presence dominating, yet subtle. In front of me lay a small lake. Smooth, round, black stones lined the edge of the lake. In the center of the lake was a small pavilion with stepping stones leading from the lake's edge towards it. The grass at my feet…no, it wasn't grass, it was moss. It looked like a green velvet carpet._

_It was a beautiful garden._

_But still, where was I?_

_The scent of camellia and wisteria permeated the air. A heavenly scent. I glanced around me. The place seemed deserted, silence ruling out everything._

_Something wasn't right._

_There was…something…menacing in the air. Something that…I couldn't quite put my finger on…_

_A low, evil chuckle broke the silence._

_A low, evil chuckle that came from behind me._

_I spun around. A man stood behind me. He was holding something in his hand, something that glowed with a black light…_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I woke up with a start.

My first instinct was to glance at the digital clock on my bedside. Eight-thirty in the morning.

What a strange dream that had been. I sat up and rubbed the traces of sleep from my eyes. My gaze fell on the dresser in front of my bed and at the mirror. Urgh. My hair was a mess.

"Ness?" Bella's tinkling voice shattered the morning quiet.

"Mom?" I called. "I'm awake." I hopped off the bed and made my way to the dresser where I diligently began taming my curls.

Bella came into the room. "Good morning," she said, smiling.

"Morning," I said, pulling the brush through my tangled curls.

She smiled fondly at me. "Bad hair day?" she asked.

"You have no idea," I said, sighing.

She laughed. Her high soprano laugh was incomparable, in my opinion.

"Oh, just because you don't have to sleep and ruin your hair, doesn't mean you have to laugh at someone less fortunate than you, Isabella Cullen," I reprimanded. Sometimes, she didn't feel like my mother, but like my best friend.

"I'm sorry, honey," she said. "By the way, at nine, we're leaving."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why? Where are we going?"

"To Hinohara," she answered. "We're going to see the land Carlisle bought."

"Mom," I said quietly. "Don't you think that building a house takes _time_? And aren't we staying here for only a _month_?"

Bella sighed. "I thought of that," she said. "Edward says that Nakamura Saito is one of us and that he has several underlings to help him, so they should be finished in record time."

"Oh," I said. Architect vampires…who knew? "Well, if you guys don't mind, I'd much rather stay here."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Why don't you want to go?"

"I've been to Hinohara," I said, shrugging. "I think I'd rather look around the city with Jacob."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Geez, Ness, what a liar you are," Jacob said, affectionately ruffling my hair. "I think I'd rather look around the city with Jacob," he went on, trying to mimic the way I said it to Bella. The day was cloudy with no sun for a change.

"Keep your eyes on the road," I said, rolling my eyes fondly at him.

"Who knew that you'd be going to Kagome Higurashi?" he said, slinging one arm around my shoulder while he kept the other hand on the steering wheel. "In fact, _why _do you wanna go to Kagome anyway?"

I shrugged. "Because she's an ordinary human girl I can talk to," I answered.

"You call hanging out with a demon normal?"

I whacked him playfully on the head.

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

"Hey, everyone!" I greeted as Inuyasha and I climbed out of the well. Okay, he jumped out, I climbed out. Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kirara were sitting around the well. Sango leaned against the well, her eyes up at the sky, but at the sound of our approach, she stood up and smiled at us. I inwardly cringed. Poor Sango. She was still suffering from Kohaku's death.

"Hey Kagome," she greeted, trying to hide her sorrow.

"Kagome, did you bring more ninja food?" Shippou asked, jumping in front of me as soon as I had climbed out of the well.

I smiled at him and placed my backpack in front of him. "Help yourself, Shippou," I said. I turned to Miroku and Sango. "Look what Inuyasha and I brought back." I took the diamond from the pocket of my skirt and held it up for them to see.

The shock was apparent on their faces. "Is…that…the Sacred Jewel shard we've all been hunting for?" Miroku's eyes were as large as the diamond. "Where did you get it?"

"Long story," I said. I glanced at Sango, whose eyes were dimmed with sadness.

"Now that we have that," Inuyasha went on. "We should find a way to keep it safe…I think…we should give it to Kikyou…"

Everyone was silent.

I felt the familiar pull of jealousy course through me, but I stopped it. "Inuyasha has a point," I said as everyone else's eyes zeroed in on me, waiting for my reaction. "Kikyou could keep the shard safe."

"But, Kagome." The thought of what the delicate topic of Kikyou might do to me provoked Sango to speak up. "_You_ can keep it safe."

I shook my head. "No," I disagreed. "Kikyou could protect it better than I can. Isn't that right…Inuyasha?"

He was silent, not wanting to answer so delicate a question.

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

"I'm sorry, but Kagome is terribly ill!" the old man said. As I take it, he was Kagome's grandpa. "She's been ordered by the doctor to get a lot of bed rest."

"Bed rest?" I raised my eyebrows. As I let my senses rove all over the area, I could detect absolutely no trace of Kagome. She wasn't in the house and she certainly couldn't be in her room. Even though she would be resting in bed, I would have still been able to hear her…but no, I couldn't even hear her _breathing_. Where was she?

"Yes!" the old man said. "Terribly, terribly ill, the poor girl, one moment, she was laughing so hard, the next she fell on the floor, whimpering in agony. Even until now, she's still whimpering."

Whimpering.

Well, I couldn't hear any whimpering coming from the house.

There something strange going on here.

"Thank you anyway," I said. "Just tell her that Renesmee Cullen stopped by, please. Thank you. Come on, Jake."

The old man slid the door closed just as Jake and I headed back towards the Shrine steps that led out of the shrine.

I stopped in my tracks and glanced at the house again. "Don't you think it's…odd," I began, looking at the house with narrowed eyes.

"That it's miraculously cloudy today?" Jacob offered.

I smiled slightly at him. "No. It's a bit odd that Kagome isn't in the house when her grandfather said that she was in bed, whimpering in agony. Well, I can't hear any whimpering." My eyes swept across the shrine. Kagome's scent lingered in the shrine grounds, which was strange if she was confined to bed. "And another thing," I went on, inhaling deeply. Kagome's faint scent permeated my senses. "Kagome's scent…leads to that small shrine." I pointed to a small shrine at the edge of the shrine grounds.

"Aw, so what if she's playing hooky?" Jacob asked. "C'mon Ness, let's go take a tour of Tokyo…wait, Ness, what're you doing?"

I pulled away from Jacob and walked towards the small shrine with brisk steps. Jacob dashed after me. "Ness, what're you—?"

"Don't you think it's odd?" I asked. "Kagome's supposed to be in bed, right? If that's so, then why does her scent lead to that small shrine? And not just her scent, mind you, but Inuyasha's too!"

"I know that," Jacob said. "Let's just go, Ness, I mean, it's none of our business."

Unfortunately for him, I was possessed of a very curious nature. I just _had _to know. We passed by the large tree and made it to the shrine doors.

"See?" Jacob said. "I can't hear her from here, let's just go, Ness."

"But her scent leads to it!" I protested. "Keep an eye out here, will you?"

He looked as though he wanted to protest, but there was a little thing called 'imprinted-werewolf-does-anything-the-object-of-his-imprinting-wants-him-to-do' that kept him from protesting. Truth be told, I felt bad whenever I acted like this, but I had to find out why Kagome would be here rather than in bed.

I slid open the shrine door and to my amazement, it was empty. It was dark and cobwebs hung around the corners. A set of ancient steps led to an equally ancient well. The strangest thing was that both Kagome and Inuyasha's scent seemed to stop at the well.

I jumped over the rickety steps and landed at the foot of the staircase. Could both Inuyasha and Kagome have fallen into the well and got knocked out? No, I don't think so. As I approached the well, I couldn't smell them anywhere. It was just the faint trace of their scent, probably a few hours old.

I peeked into the well. It was dark and I could see nothing. The wind moaned inside it.

"A dry well," I muttered. Huh? There was something strange about this well. Was it just me, or did it feel as though there was some weak force that tried to pull me in? In any case, it was a creepy place.

"Ness!"

I jumped. Jacob was standing at the top of the stairs, frantic. "C'mon, we gotta run," he said. "Some kid is coming!"

I hesitated. "We haven't found Kagome yet!"

"Who cares?" he said, his tone somewhat gentle. "We're trespassing, let's go!"

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

"When do you think Inuyasha is coming back?" Shippou asked.

We were sitting on the slope behind Kaede's hut, waiting for Inuyasha who had left that morning. It was high noon already and no sign of him yet.

"He left to look for Kikyou hours ago," Shippou went on. "Wonder why he isn't back yet?"

I didn't answer. Of course, Inuyasha would want to spend a little time alone with Kikyou…

"I don't know," I answered, sighing. "Let him be. He knows where Kikyou is. He'll find her."

Everyone was silent. I could feel their stares on me as I averted my gaze and stared up at the sky. I sighed and let my thoughts wander to the present Era and to the Cullens. I had yet to tell Miroku and Sango about Renesmee and her family and I hoped that Miroku could shed more light on the enigmatic Cullens.

"Don't you think it was generous of Kagome to let Inuyasha go off on his own?" Sango whispered to Miroku. Her voice was still subdued because of her grief for Kohaku, but I could also hear the pity in her voice.

"I know," Miroku agreed, whispering. Geez…

"I can hear you guys, you know," I pointed out, raising an eyebrow at them.

They looked sheepish. "Anyway," I went on. "Miroku, do you know anything about…vampires?"

Miroku's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean those creatures from the mainland that are somewhat like the nukekubi?" he asked. "Yes, but not much, though." It was no surprise that a learned monk like Miroku would know something about them.

"What can you tell me about them?" I asked, curious.

Miroku's eyebrows met in the middle. "Well, they're neither specter nor demon," he said. "From what I've gleaned, they feed off human blood…but I've heard of cases where livestock are the victims. Livestock, animals and the like. I once met a monk who encountered such a creature. The monk said that the creature was female and very beautiful"—I thought of Rosalie at that—"but also very deadly. It's hard to exorcise them since their skin is as hard as marble and their speed and strength fall several levels short of demon lord. That's all I know, actually."

I nodded. "Why do you ask?" Miroku inquired, raising an eyebrow.

I sighed. "I met a coven of them in my era," I explained.

"What?" Miroku and Sango said in unison.

"A whole _coven _of them in your era?" Sango sounded incredulous.

I nodded. "But they aren't evil though," I said, defending the Cullens.

Miroku frowned. He was about to say something, when Shippou suddenly spoke up. "Look!" he cried, pointing to Inuyasha's forest. "Soul collectors!" True enough, several soul collectors hovered above the trees. A moment later, Inuyasha came running into the village.

"Kagome!" he shouted.

I sighed and stood up. "Inuyasha over here!" I called, waving a hand as I ran down the slope. I ran towards him until we both met on the small bridge that spanned the creek in front of Kaede's hut.

"Kikyou wants to see you," he informed.

"Well, where is she?" I asked. I glimpsed over his shoulder, expecting her to turn up from out of nowhere.

"In the forest," he explained. "She wants to meet you there and bring the jewel shard with you."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The least Inuyasha could've done was come with me!

Why on earth did he want me to meet Kikyou on my own? Not that I was afraid of her, I thought as I made my through the trees of Inuyasha's forest, it was just that there was something about her that overwhelmed me. I'll admit it, she intimidated me. And why not? She was beautiful, graceful, gentle, elegant and not to mention powerful. Why wouldn't I feel intimidated?

I presently came upon the small meadow where Inuyasha said Kikyou would be. I looked around. Small blue flowers dotted the grass and butterflies flitted among the blooms. I sighed, looking around again. There wasn't any sign of Kikyou…

"You have found it?"

"Gah!" I spun around to find Kikyou behind me. Her straight black hair was unbound and fell in a silken cascade passed her back. Her soul collectors hovered around her, one of them resting serenely on her shoulder. "You scared me!"

"Show me the jewel shard," she said, holding out her hand.

I pulled out the diamond from my pocket and placed it in her hand. She stared at the jewel shard within, her eyes narrowed.

"Sealed up, huh?" she said quietly, tilting the diamond this way and that, so it still managed to sparkle despite the lack of sunlight. She looked up at me. "Where did you get this?"

"A…friend of mine found it," I said carefully.

"Oh?" she said, bringing the diamond to her face again, her eyes narrowed. "In your era, no doubt." She was silent for a moment. "In your era…I wonder…" She was silent again, lost in deep thought. "Kagome, I want you take this shard back to your era."

"I…what?"

"Take the shard back to your era," she repeated. "It should be safe from Naraku there."

"No way!" I exclaimed to which she raised her eyebrows. "What if Naraku decides to come to my era looking for the jewel? What then? My era is more defenseless when it comes to dealing with demons!"

"Don't be foolish," she said. "Naraku has no knowledge about your era and for another, he cannot go through the well."

"But there are other ways!" I said. I'd been in the Feudal era for so long now that I no longer believed in the word 'impossible'.

"This jewel is safest in your world," Kikyou said quietly. "If we are to permit the jewel shard to remain here, there is a possibility that Naraku will take it. You must realize, Kagome, that if Naraku completes the jewel, we are powerless to stop him."

I was quiet for a moment then I sighed. "Okay," I said hesitantly taking the jewel back.

Kikyou nodded in approval. "Be sure to keep it safe, understood?"

I nodded. I hope she was right; after all, Kikyou was infallible.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

"I don't know why you're complaining," I said, sighing as Inuyasha and I returned to the well. "After all, Kikyou was the one who told us to find a place for the shard in my time, remember?"

"Bah!" Inuyasha muttered. "_Is _there even a place in your time that's _safe_?"

"A bank," I muttered, thinking if it would be possible to ditch the jewel shard in a bank vault. A high-security bank vault.

"What's a 'bank'?" he asked as we neared the well.

"A place where you keep your valuables," I said. "Like money, jewels…"

"Do you think I could put _you _in a bank?" Inuyasha asked I placed a foot on the well's edge, ready to jump in.

I stared at him. "Why on earth would you put me in a bank?" I asked, incredulous.

"To keep you safe from Naraku," he answered simply.

I blushed at that. "A bank wouldn't be able to stop Naraku," I said, feeling the red in my cheeks. "And…besides"—I looked up at him—"I'd feel even safer with you…"

A small tint darkened his cheeks. "Keh, whatever," he said, sheepish, as he looked up at the sky. I smiled quietly to myself. And then my eyes widened in realization.

"Of course!" I said, slapping my hand to my forehead. "Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha looked at me, an eyebrow raised. "What're you harping on about now?"

"I know where to hide the jewel!"

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

"You think they'd be back by now," I said, sighing as I stared out the window of the hotel room where my family gathered. It was late afternoon and the others weren't back yet. You'd think that they'd hurry…

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" Jacob asked, coming over to me. After our narrow escape from being discovered at the shrine, Jacob was constantly grinning, pleased to have warned me earlier about the approach of Kagome's little brother. Jacob was always so happy whenever he could even the smallest things for me.

I blushed. "I don't know what you mean," I said innocently.

I could see his reflection in the glass window. He was grinning. I don't know why, but I was always so shy with Jacob…

He took a step towards me and in that instant, the phone rang.

The phone rested on a small circular table near the window. I picked up the receiver. "Hello?" I asked.

"Um…hi, Renesmee, this is Kagome."

I almost dropped the phone. "Kagome?" I said uncertainly. I glanced behind me. Jacob had a puzzled look on his face.

"Yeah," she said again.

So, she was no longer writhing in pain? There was an awkward pause. "I thought you were sick," I said cautiously.

"Huh? Sick? Erm…actually," she said. "I…kinda was. I'm better now, though. Listen, I was wondering if you'd be willing to meet me at the park just in front of your hotel. I have…a favor to ask."

**-o-o-Kagome-o-o-**

"I don't think this is such a good idea, Kagome," Inuyasha said for what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon.

I rolled my eyes as we strolled along the park. "I'm sure we can trust them, Inuyasha," I said.

"I have my doubts."

"Be doubtful, then," I said, sighing as I sat down on one of the park benches. "But I'm sure I can trust her. There's just something about her that inspires trust, I guess."

"Geez," Inuyasha said.

We were silent for a few moments. "Aren't you going to sit down?" I asked as Inuyasha adjusted his baseball cap.

"Don't need to," he refused, looking ahead. "Besides, they're here."

I looked up. Renesmee and Jacob were headed straight for us. They made a rather funny pair, the both of them. Renesmee was simply beautiful; though Jacob wasn't actually ugly, he just seemed…unrefined. Looking at the two of them as they made their way towards us, it was kind of hard to believe that they were together…They just didn't fit.

"Hey, Kagome," Renesmee greeted as she and Jacob reached us. Jacob looked guarded, glancing warily from me to Inuyasha.

"Hey," I said.

"So what is it that you wanted to ask me?" Renesmee asked.

I hesitated. "I know we haven't known each other that long," I said. "But…I wanted to ask a favor from you."

She tilted her head at me. "What favor?"

I hesitated again then pulled the diamond from my pocket and held it out for her to see. "I want you to guard this for me."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "This…Sacred Jewel, right?" she said. "Me? But…of all people…why me?" She glanced at Inuyasha. "I mean…he's a demon, isn't he? He can do a much better job of protecting this jewel than I can."

I shook my head. "Inuyasha can't guard it because…because…"

"I'm going home," Inuyasha continued.

I looked up at him, surprised. We couldn't tell Renesmee about the Feudal era and so, we couldn't tell her that Inuyasha was returning there, hence the reason he couldn't guard the shard himself.

"Home?" Renesmee asked.

"Um, that's right," I said quickly. "Inuyasha…comes from…another dimension…and…he has to go back…during the full moon…"

"Isn't that today?" she pointed out.

"Exactly," I said. "He comes back…after the next full moon. And I'm not strong enough to protect the jewel on my own, so I was wondering if you would do it for me."

"Well," she said slowly. "I could watch it for you…but…we go home a month from now."

I nodded. "That's more than enough time. So, will you?"

She smiled. "Of course!"

"Ness, what're you saying?" Jacob asked. "You can't just do that! I thought she said that demons are after that thing, remember? What if they'll be after you?"

"There aren't any demons here," I quickly reassured Jacob, switching to English.

Jacob stared pointedly at Inuyasha. "Except for him," I said, sighing.

"Jake, it's no big deal," Renesmee reassured. "Besides, this isn't permanent or anything."

Jacob was silent. It seemed that he was so ready to give Renesmee whatever she wanted. The said half-vampire turned her attention back to me, still smiling. "Anyway," she went on. "My family is out of town for a while and since Inuyasha's going back to his…other dimension"—she lowered her voice when she said it—"I was wondering if you'd like to hang out tomorrow?"

I was somewhat taken aback at her offer. And so were Jacob and Inuyasha. "Um…sure."

She smiled at me. "Fantastic!"

- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - --

"I can't believe you're actually going to spend some time with that girl, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "Heck, I can't believe you gave her our jewel shard!" Night was falling and he was sitting cross-legged on my bed, glaring at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Inuyasha, we can trust her," I said, sighing. "And besides, we're just going to hang out. That's all." Though, I must admit—the prospect of hanging out with a half-vampire whom I've known for only two days wasn't exactly giving me any confidence.

"Now you can't come to the Feudal Era with me," he said, sighing.

"Inuyasha, it's just for one more day," I said. "I'll hang out with her tomorrow and then I'll leave for the Feudal Era, okay? So as to not make her suspicious." Actually, I was a bit bothered that we were hiding the Feudal Era from Renesmee when she had practically told us a lot about her family.

"Well, I'm going back today," he said, hopping off my bed. He made his way towards the window and stared back at me. "I'm coming back for you the day after tomorrow, got it? No more delays." With that, he jumped out my window.

I sighed. Couldn't he even say a proper goodbye?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_I slowly backed away as the dark figures made their way towards me, their eyes crimson in the dark. A feral snarl rippled from their throats as they made their way towards me, their cloaks swishing softly as they walked._

"_Stay back!" I cried, taking a step backwards._

"_Smells tasty, doesn't she?" one of them said._

"_Dibs," another voice spoke up._

_I screamed as they lunged towards me._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Kagome, wake up!" Inuyasha was shaking me awake, his voice frantic.

My eyes flew open. Sweat dotted my forehead and I was shaking from fear. What a dream. "Inu…yasha?" I said with uncertainty.

"You were having a nightmare," he murmured gently.

I sat up. "What are you doing here?" I asked. I glanced out briefly out the window. It was morning. "I thought you went back to the Feudal Era last night."

"I had to come back for you," he explained. "I know you were supposed to 'hang out' with that girl Renesmee, but you have to come back to the Feudal Era now."

"Why?"

"Kikyou wants to speak to you," he went on. "It's about something important."

So, he was with Kikyou while I was away? I felt bitterness course through me again.

"Why?" I asked, my tone somewhat colder.

"I told you, it's about something important," he repeated. "Wait a minute…are you angry with me or something, Kagome?" He noticed the tone in my voice, huh?

"No."

"You sound like it!"

"I'm not mad." I wasn't in the mood for this so early in the morning.

"Liar."

"Sit."

He crashed to my floor with a loud thud, cursing under his breath. I ignored him and hopped off my bed. He had totally spoiled my morning.

"So, Kikyou wants to talk to me? I wonder what she wants."

**-x-x-Renesmee-x-x-**

I was excited as I climbed up the steps that led to the Higurashi shrine. It was another cloudy day for which I was thankful.

My parents had yet to come home and Jacob and I had passed the night watching an old movie called 'Quo Vadis?'. Nothing more. He was very reluctant to let me go off alone with Kagome, but I had been firm. I was finally going to be able to hang out with someone normal for once. I placed a hand in my jeans pocket, where the diamond with the jewel shard in it rested. I carried it around with me. I had been so touched that Kagome was willing to entrust it to me that I completely forgot about my suspicions yesterday.

I reached the top of the steps and made my way towards the house. Eagerly, I knocked on the door. To my disappointment, it wasn't Kagome who answered, but her grandfather.

"Oh, it's you!" the old man exclaimed, surprised. "I suppose you've come to see Kagome?"

I nodded.

"I'm sorry, but she's ill again!" her grandfather exclaimed.

"Huh?" She was ill again? Strange, she didn't look ill yesterday. While the old man went on explaining about some illness I've never heard of before, I let my senses roam throughout the area. Kagome wasn't in the house again…

In fact…the strangest thing was that her scent led to the well shrine again…

"…and so, I think a malevolent spirit is possessing her!" her grandfather concluded.

I nodded despite the fact that I had no idea what he was talking about. "Okay, thank you!" I turned and left. I pretended to walk towards the shrine steps. I glanced over my shoulder as the sound of a door sliding closed echoed throughout the shrine grounds. I quickly veered towards the well shrine.

"Okay, Kagome," I said quietly as I slid the door open. "Where have you gone to?"

I descended the steps that led to the well and stood in front of it, looking down into the darkness. Her scent completely stopped here, fresh…as did Inuyasha's…

Strange.

I thought Inuyasha went back to his other dimension last night…

I felt something stir in my jeans pocket and I pulled out the diamond. To my astonishment, the jewel within was _glowing_.

Stranger.

"What's going on here?" I whispered to myself. I looked back into the well and to my surprise, there was a blue glowing light from within it. "What…is that?" I leaned in even further and I felt a force pull me in. I gasped as I fell in and blue light surrounded me. It was such a strange sensation. It was as though I was falling through water…

Strangest.

"Okay, what just happened?" I asked aloud as the blue light subsided. I found myself at the bottom of the well. But, wait a moment…why was there light? A while ago, it had surely been dark, but now, light was streaming from the opening in the well. I looked up. The sky was cloudless, but that was definitely the sky…

Shouldn't I have seen the ceiling of the well shrine?

I easily jumped out of the well and felt astonishment course through me. I found myself in a beautiful clearing, surrounded by trees…Wasn't I supposed to be in the shrine? Why was I in a forest? In fact…

Where was I?

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: whew! I hope this chapter makes up for my late updates!  
Kagome: maybe, we'll have to ask the readers.**

**A1969: well, I'm really sorry for the late update.**

**Inuyasha: yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.**

**A1969: I hope you guys review! Oh, and thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!**


	6. Supermassive Black Hole

**A1969: ha! I'm updating regularly, take that!  
Inuyasha: she's crazy, isn't she?  
Kagome: yeah, it's in a good way, though…I think.**

**A1969: oh, cut it, you two. Anyway, I'd like to thank those who've bothered to read and those who've bothered to review! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**-o-o-Chapter Six-o-o-**

**Supermassive Black Hole**

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Where was I?

I couldn't think of anything else as I perched myself on the well's edge, looking around what seemed to be a peaceful clearing…

Hm…

How did I get here? I fell inside a well, in a well shrine and when I come out of said well, I find myself not in the shrine in which it was housed, but in a clearing.

Strange. It still didn't answer the question about my whereabouts, though. I sighed and inhaled. Another thing that was strange about this forest—the air was…pure. It was clean. There was not a single trace of smoke or pollutants in it, something that greatly characterized any modern city such as Tokyo.

Okay, time to think.

What were the reasons for me winding up in a strange place like this?

Hm…

I sat there for a moment, thinking and several possibilities raced through my mind.

First, I was dreaming. I was probably still in my hotel room, asleep and dreaming. Okay, that was reasonable enough.

Second, the Japanese government has succeeded in creating a teleportation device which was hidden in the old well in the Higurashi shrine. A bit dramatic, that one.

Third, I was kidnapped and dragged here. Ridiculous that one, since I would have been able to hear them coming. But what if I was kidnapped by a vampire? A stealthy vampire…

The Volturi.

The blood froze in my veins.

Was it possible that the Volturi somehow brought me here—to wherever this place was? But no, Alice would have seen any move the Volturi would have made…unless, of course, the Volturi was making use of the holes in Alice's vision.

I sighed and hopped off the well, looking up at the cloudy sky.

Really, where on earth was I?

I closed my eyes and let my senses range out. This forest was peaceful and quiet; the only sounds worth hearing in it were the chirping of the birds and the march of the insects. I focused and let my senses range out even further, beyond the forest. There was the sound of human activity not far from where I was.

I opened my eyes and followed the sound of human life.

**-oo-Kagome-oo-**

What did Kikyou want this time?

I couldn't stop thinking about what she wanted as the others and I left Kaede's village that morning to look for Kikyou who, according to Inuyasha, was staying in a forest a little distance away from the neighboring village.

I rode on Inuyasha's back as always, while Miroku and Sango rode on Kirara along with Shippou. "What does she want, Inuyasha?" I asked him as soon as the outskirts of Kaede's village fell behind us.

"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me anything last night, except that she had to talk to you," he answered.

So, he had been with Kikyou practically the whole night? I suppressed a sigh as I held tighter on to Inuyasha's shoulders. It was best not to get upset at a time like this.

Inuyasha suddenly stopped in his tracks, kicking up a cloud of dust as he skidded to a halt, his nose turned in the direction of the forest named after him.

"What's wrong?" I asked as Miroku and the others stopped beside us.

"Anything the matter, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha hesitantly turned away from the forest and continued to run. "Well?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "I just thought that…" He shook his head again. "Must've been a trick of the wind." True enough, the wind was picking up speed, and the sky above threatened rain. Even for me, a human, the scent of rain was already present in the air.

Inuyasha continued running, his hair whipping in my face. I sighed and leaned my head against his back. "What's wrong?" It was his turn to ask.

"Nothing," I lied.

"Liar."

I hesitated. "It's just that…well, I was supposed to see Renesmee today," I reminded him, though that wasn't really why I was a bit down today.

He nodded, his eyes fixed on the path we had taken. "You can go with her tomorrow," he said, trying to be optimistic. "But first, we have to go see Kikyou."

Right…

Kikyou…

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

What on earth?!

Or rather, where on earth was here?

The sounds of human activity I heard earlier had come from a village. But it wasn't a village I quite expected. Hiding in the bushes at the outskirts of the village, I could only gape at the human dwellings. The village looked…rural. In fact, _too _rural. The houses were all made of wood with large stones holding the roofs down, something I've only read about and never seen. The people all wore kimono of some sort. The women's heads were covered with scarves and simple cloths were tied around their waists and reaching down to their ankles. The men all wore coarse and rough singlets that looked as though they'd seen better days and the hakama they were wore were thoroughly worn and patched up in some places. Their hair was styled into a topknot, something reminiscent of Feudal Japan.

Queer.

Was this a remote mountain village hidden somewhere in Japan? I glanced around me. There wasn't even any indication of electric cables and I knew that in Japan, communities, no matter how rural they may have been, had to have electricity. So where was I? This was a place totally devoid of the modern trivialities of life.

Oh well, time to ask for help.

I quietly stepped out of the bushes and made my way towards the edge of the village, where several men were conversing about the wars. Wars? Was Japan even at war?

"Um, excuse me," I said hesitantly, in Japanese, as I approached the group. At my approach, the men all looked up from one another, startled. They took one good look at me and stepped back, caution written on their faces.

"Who is this girl?" the men asked, murmuring among themselves, thinking I couldn't hear. "She dresses strangely, just like our priestess Kagome."

Okay…First, what was so strange about gray bell bottom jeans and a black tweed turtleneck sweater? Second, did they just say 'Kagome'? Could this be my Kagome or another Kagome? And…priestess? What's with that?

"Um…" I hesitantly took a step towards them and they gave me a distrustful look. "Excuse me, but did you just say…?"

At that moment, there was a shift in the clouds. A ray of sunlight fell on the village, bathing it in the warm light. Shoot. The villagers' eyes widened as they saw that my skin glowed like the moonlight in the sun.

"K-kaede-sama!" they shouted.

Damn. Stupid ability to scintillate in the sun! I mean, why must vampires have to sparkle (or, in my case, glow) in the sunlight? How overrated.

I watched, panicked, as the men scampered away from me. I glanced around me. Women were giving me queer looks and children stopped playing to stare at me, their eyes widening.

"Is she some sort of demon?" I heard the women whisper as they took steps backward. They held baskets of herbs in their hands and I had a feeling that they would readily use those baskets as shields should the need arise.

Wait, these people knew about Kagome's secret world of demons?

At that moment, the crowd that had formed around me began to part and a moment later, I saw why. They were making way for an old woman. She had an eye patch over one eye and she wore white haori with red hakama—the garb of a priestess, I recalled. She had a bow slung over one shoulder and a quiver of arrows over the other.

I took a step back.

"What manner of demon are ye?" the old woman asked.

My eyes widened. "I'm no demon," I protested, my glowing flesh easily contradicting me. Well, I wasn't exactly a demon, and I wasn't exactly human.

She stared at my glowing skin and raised an eyebrow. But then, she narrowed her eyes at me, as though just realizing something.

"Your clothing," she said.

"Eh?" Geesh…were these people so far away from modern civilization that they never saw bell bottoms before?

"It is the same style as Kagome's," the old woman finished.

"Kagome?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I must apologize for the way the villagers treated you," the old woman said, handing me a bowl of soup.

"No big," I said, shrugging, as I glanced around the interior of her hut. It was small. And very rustic. There wasn't the faintest sign of technology in this hut; no phone, no lights. Even the windows were all wooden…

"So," I said, placing the bowl on the floor, not touching it. "You say you know Kagome?"

The old woman named Kaede nodded. Another thing, the villagers called her 'Kaede-sama', I've never heard the honorific used anywhere in Japan before, unless, of course, it was to address someone of extreme importance, such as the emperor, for instance, but why must an old woman be given the honorific?

"Yes," she said, nodding. "She and her companions left a while ago, I'm afraid."

I nodded. "I see," I said softly. "Um, can you tell me where I am? All I know is that I was in Tokyo and then I fell into the well in Kagome's family's shrine and I've no idea where I am. So, where is here?"

"So you come from the same time as Kagome?" Kaede raised an eyebrow at me.

Time? At that moment, the pieces slowly put themselves together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Pure air that contained not the slightest trace of pollutants…men talking about war even though Japan wasn't even at war…clothing that showed not a slight hint of modernity…lack of technology…old women who were given the title of 'sama'…and the strange way the people talked…

War…

Use of honorific…

Strange clothing…

Pure air…

It was suddenly obvious that I was _not _in the time period I was supposed to be in.

War, no, _wars_…

Holy crap. Was I in Japan's Feudal Era?

**-oo-Kagome-oo-**

"How farther away is Kikyou, Inuyasha?" I asked him as he set me down gently onto the ground. He looked at the forest in front of us.

"She's through there," he answered.

I hesitated and gave him a look. "What?" he asked.

"Aren't you coming with me?" I asked.

"No," he said. "Kikyou wants to see you and you alone. Miroku and Sango and I will wait here."

I raised an eyebrow at him as the breeze rustled the leaves in the treetops. "Oh?" I said. "Kikyou wants to see me _alone_? Doesn't she want to see you as well?" I knew I shouldn't be acting like this, but…I just couldn't stand it anymore.

He caught my mood and sighed. "Kagome…" he began, but I interrupted.

"Fine, I'm going on my own." I turned my back on him and made my way towards the forest.

"Wait, Kagome!" I felt Inuyasha's hand around my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. "Are you really upset at me? Kagome…what have I done wrong this time?"

I tugged my wrist away from him, but his hold was like iron. "Lemme go, Inuyasha, I have to go see Kikyou," I said, trying to pull my wrist away.

"There they go again," Miroku muttered to Sango, which I ignored.

"Kagome, what did I do now?"

"Never mind, I have to go." I succeeded in pulling my wrist away from him and quickly dashing into the forest.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was the worst.

I could think of nothing else as I made my way through the forest, keeping an eye open for any sign of Kikyou. I inwardly groaned. My behavior today was just totally unacceptable and I was sure that Inuyasha would be mad at me when I went back.

I shouldn't have acted the way I had. It was unspeakable and it was childish. I had to apologize to him after I found out what Kikyou wanted.

Speaking of which, where was she?

I glanced around me. The leaves swayed gently in the breeze just as a shaft of sunlight fell out of the sky, dispelling the cool shadows of a cloudless day. I closed my eyes against the brightness and when I opened them again, I noticed something moving among the trees…

Soul collectors.

They were weaving lazily through the trees, hovering in and out of sight. They wanted me to follow them, no doubt. As soon as this thought occurred to me, the soul collectors quickly flew away.

"Wait for me!" I shouted as I raced after them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I followed the soul collectors to a large oak tree, its roots protruding from the ground and on one of the large roots sat Kikyou, staring unseeingly at the tree's leafy canopy. Kikyou's hair fell past her shoulders in a silken cascade and her eyes were cold and analytical as she turned them on me.

"Hello, Kagome," she said impassively. I've never met a woman who could be as impassive as Kikyou before.

I hesitated. "Um, hi," I said, returning her greeting.

A small smile threatened to pull at the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps you are wondering why I summoned you here," she said.

I nodded.

"I have something to ask you," she went on. "It concerns the last Sacred Jewel Shard you found."

"My friend found it," I automatically corrected.

Kikyou was silent, her analytical eyes boring into my own. "Tell me," she said softly, a queer tone entering her voice. "Was your friend the first person to touch the diamond that encompasses the last Sacred Jewel shard?"

"What?" I asked. What a strange question she asked me.

"Was your friend the first person to touch the diamond that holds the Sacred Jewel shard?" she repeated. I bet she was thinking that I was pretty slow and, in this case, I probably was. I mean, I didn't know if Renesmee was the one to touch it first…

"I…don't know," I admitted at last. "I mean…maybe, but I'm not sure."

Kikyou was silent for a moment. "Ask your friend, please," she said, sighing.

"Why? What does this have to do with—?"

"The diamond around the shard is a seal," she said quietly. "It is a technique commonly used on the continent, but not in our country. The diamond acts as a seal and the only person who can destroy it is the first person who touches it. Usually, it would be the creator of such a seal, but, in our case, it might or might not be your friend. Hence, you must find out who the creator is, or who touched the diamond first."

I gaped at her. "But…what if the first person to touch the diamond _is _my friend?"

"Then only your friend can break the seal."

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Feudal Japan…

Unbelievable.

How did I wind up here? I mean, just a week ago, I was in gloomy Forks and now…

Unbelievable.

I could think of nothing else as I left Kaede's village to go look for Kagome and her friends. I had asked Kaede as to where Kagome and the others might be headed and she said that they were headed to a neighboring village in the mountains. Kaede had generously offered to send me off with a guide. I imagine she was in a hurry to see me go, seeing as she knew I wasn't human and yet I didn't tell her what I was.

I trudged out of the outskirts of Kaede's village, stifling a sigh. Once I was a good distance away from the village, I stopped and sniffed the air. Kagome's scent lingered faintly in the breeze. I inhaled again. There were other scents mixed in with hers. I could make out Inuyasha's scent and then, a different scent—the scent of perfume slightly tinged with incense; then there was the scent of wild violets and two other scents that I didn't bother to analyze. Hm…might these belong to Kagome's companions?

Maybe.

Without further ado, I ran in the direction their scents were headed.

I had better get some straight answers from Kagome when I found her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Inuyasha sure could run, I'll give him that.

I had been running for nearly half an hour by now and I still hadn't caught up to them yet. Of course, Inuyasha was a demon, he would be a much faster runner than I and I was certain I hadn't inherited Edward's gift of speed.

Edward…

I sighed as I stopped. I glanced around me. I was in forest, the very forest Kaede said that encompassed the village Kagome and Inuyasha were headed. Well, I could afford a few minutes to think. I sat down on a log that rested against a tree, leaning against the trunk of the tree and closing my eyes.

Edward, Bella…

Dad and Mom…

What would they be thinking when they found out that I was gone? Bella would be worried out of her wits while Edward would most likely be furious with Jacob…

Uh-oh.

Before I left, I had told Jacob that I would be spending the day with Kagome…

Oh no.

Jacob would tell the others that I was with Kagome and then what would happen? Kagome wouldn't be home, obviously, so was there a chance that they would think that I had gone off with Kagome? I hoped so, I wouldn't want to give either Kagome or her family any trouble on my account. Besides, truth be told, it was my fault why I was here in the first place…

Sighing, I looked up at the sky. The clouds were back, thank goodness and it looked like it was going to rain. I stood and turned to the direction of Kagome's and Inuyasha's scents. Before I could take a step away, however, my ears picked up a low grumbling coming from the ground behind me…

Huh? I spun around just as a large boom reached my ears. A moment later, chunks of earth flew from the ground behind me, sending me flying backwards and raising dust in the air. I felt myself hit a tree and felt that tree shudder. The impact didn't cause much pain though, thanks to my vampire skin. I felt myself slide down the length of the tree and onto the ground. During that short time it took for me to slide to the ground, I heard a frightening growl coming from amidst the dust that slowly started to settle.

It took me less than a fraction of a second to stand straight again. My eyes zeroed in on the dust, wondering…

What was happening? Did a bomb just blow?

But no, the frightening growls that came from the dust couldn't be from a bomb…

The dust cleared.

I screamed, my voice rising higher than a soprano's.

Usually, I wouldn't scream, but the thing that was growling at me came straight from a horror movie. Was it…was it a snake? I couldn't tell. It towered a good twenty feet above me. Its scales were blood red and white spikes jutted out from its face. Its eyes were coal black and it was covered in scales. Its back was covered in spikes, all the way from its head to the tip of its tale. A yellow gaseous substance oozed from its mouth. Urgh…it smelled putrid.

I had no doubts about what this creature was—it was a demon through and through. It was the kind of demon that Hollywood actually created to scare the hell out of everyone. Why it couldn't have looked like Inuyasha was a mystery—at least Inuyasha was presentable.

"Woman," it growled.

Eh…? It…could talk? Okay…

"You have it," it went on. "The Sacred Jewel shard!"

For a moment, the fact that this…demon snake could speak left me dumbfounded. I shook my head. "Sacred Jewel shard?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"I'm no fool, girl!" It lunged towards me, mouth agape. Yikes! That mouth could so easily swallow me whole! I managed to dodge the demon. Its head rammed into the ground, sending chunks of earth into the air. Before I could blink, however, the demon quickly whipped around and lunged towards me again.

Darn it! This demon was quick. Even with my speed as a half-vampire, this thing was still faster than I was. Though it was quicker, I had the advantage of being smaller. I could evade it, at least.

"The Sacred Jewel shard!" the demon roared. Its tail whipped through the air, but I managed to duck it and I heard the demon hiss angrily.

I looked up at it. How could I defeat such a thing? I was no fighter—I'd been protected by my family all my life. If I was a full-blooded vampire, maybe I could fight it off…

The demon suddenly reared its head into the air. It opened its mouth and yellowish goo oozed from within. To my consternation, the moment the goo touched the ground, the ground seemed to sizzle…

"Hand over the shard, girl!" Once again, the demon lunged towards me, its mouth gaping open. I jumped backward but the demon was clever. While the demon's head lunged towards me, its scaly tail arced in the air and I felt it make contact with back. I felt myself fly headlong towards the demon, felt myself hit its scaly body, just below its head. Ow…its body felt like granite.

I fell to the ground in a heap only to realize that a puddle of yellow goo was pooling around me. I jumped into the air, and, in that instant, the demon's tail automatically wrapped around me, covering me from the shoulder downwards.

It squeezed.

I cried out as I felt the sheer strength of the muscle of its tail. I have never felt this much pain before and the experience was both new and frightening. For a moment, I wished uncle Emmett was here to kill this thing. I'm sure with his brawn, he'd have been able to dispatch this thing.

"Hand over the Sacred Jewel shard!" It tightened its grip and I cried out again.

"Ow!" I cried out, struggling against the sheer strength that held me. "Let me go!"

To my horror, the demon brought me closer to its mouth. I could see each one of its fangs—they were as long and sharp as sabers with that yellowish venom dripping from each one.

"I'll devour you along with the shard!" It brought me closer and I felt myself struggling even further. Damn it! If only I was as strong as a full-blooded vampire…

As the gaping mouth grew bigger and bigger and as the realization of death became more apparent, I could only think of two things—my family and my Jacob. What would Edward and Bella do when they discovered that I was dead? Jacob would be hurt, his pain surpassing everything else. My heart thudded when I realized the pain my death would bring them. I struggled, trying to free myself.

But it couldn't be helped.

I was too weak, and this demon was strong. For a moment, I thought about Carlisle's theory of the afterlife of vampires—would there be an afterlife for someone like me? I didn't know…

"Let her go, ugly!" The voice was rough and unfamiliar and the moment I heard it, a most peculiar scent reached my nose—a strange wolfy smell.

Before I knew it, I heard a loud thud and the demon roared in rage and in pain. I felt its tail unwind from around me and I fell to the ground. I managed to land on my feet. I looked up to see what had occupied the demon's attention.

My eyes widened.

Standing on the head of the demon was a boy. He had long black hair that was tied into a ponytail on his head. A band of brown fur was tied around his head and which was slightly obscured by his bangs. His eyes were blue and his ears were pointed. He wore chest simple chest armor and a sword was strapped to his waist. But that wasn't what caught my attention. Truth be told, what caught my attention was actually the short piece of fur wrapped around his waist like a mini skirt. Okay…

"So, you thought you were gonna get the Sacred Jewel shard, huh?" he said, hands on his tightened into fists on his waist as he looked down at the demon. The demon hissed and shook its head, trying to dislodge the strange boy.

The boy jumped off and leapt into the air. My eyes widened. Wow…he could jump, I'll give him that. "Idiot!" the boy said as he started falling back towards the demon. But he failed to notice the demon's tail whipping through the air towards him.

"Watch out!" I cried out.

"Huh?" The boy glanced behind him. To my surprise, he used the tail as a sort of leverage. He placed both his feet on the tail and propelled himself forward and towards the demon, his fist outstretched. The snake demon opened its mouth wide—it was going to swallow the boy.

But that wasn't the case. The boy did vanish into the snake's mouth, but that was for only the merest fraction of a second. A moment later, there was a burst of blood as the boy went through the snake's head, just like a bullet exiting the skull of a human. I tried to ignore the ache that the spilled blood incurred in my throat as I watched the boy fall lightly to the ground, on his feet and covered in blood. Behind him, the demon snake swayed and then fell backwards, raising a cloud of dust.

I was stunned.

Had that all really happened? Had that strange boy (whom I realized was a demon) really killed off that thing? It had all happened so fast.

The boy suddenly turned his attention to me. He was covered in the demon snake's blood from head to toe (once again, the thirst in my throat acted up, but I suppressed it). He narrowed his eyes at me and I felt a new fear rise within me. Would this human like demon try to take the Sacred Jewel shard too? And seeing as it had killed the demon that tried to kill me, I was sure that this boy would be stronger…

Before I could decide to run, however, he spoke up. "What're you staring at?" he asked, his nose in the air. His voice was rough, sort of like Inuyasha's.

Should I run?

He suddenly sniffed the air and a look of disgust appeared on his face. "You stink," he said, rounding on me. "No human could have a stench like this!"

Wh…at? I stunk? Strange, Jacob always said that I smelled pleasing enough.

I took a step back, ready to make a run for it should the need for it arise. "What are you?" the boy suddenly asked, taking another step towards me. I backed away again. "You don't smell like a human and you don't smell like a demon…"

I took several steps backward again. "Who…who are you?" I asked, afraid now.

The boy raised his eyebrows and stopped in his tracks. "I'm Kouga, leader of the demon wolf tribe and you've got some explaining to do!"

**-oo-Kagome-oo-**

"Will you please stop complaining?" I said, exasperated as Inuyasha and I trudged back to the well. "I'm not the one who said to go and ask Renesmee about whether or not she was the first to get hold of the Sacred Jewel shard!"

"I ain't complaining!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Of course you wouldn't complain, after all, _Kikyou _is the one who told me to go and ask her!" I was fuming by now. And hurt.

"Is this about Kikyou again?" he asked.

I ignored him as I placed a foot on the edge of the well. "Kagome!" he said again.

I closed my eyes and slowly let out a breath. "Sorry," I said, sighing. "Let's go, shall we?" Really, I should put aside all these Kikyou issues…

He suddenly grabbed my wrists and forced me to face him. "Inuyasha, really," I said. "I'm not—"

"Sh!" He closed his eyes and inhaled. I gave him a puzzled look.

"What're you…?"

He opened his eyes and I was shocked at the look I saw in them. "Kagome," he said, his voice barely audible. "Renesmee's scent…is here…"

I stared at him, my eyes widening. "What?" I asked, as though I hadn't heard. "What did you say?"

"Renesmee's scent comes from the well…"

"You're kidding, right?" I asked. "You've got to be joking, right?"

He shook his head, to my dismay. "Inuyasha. You. Can't. Be. Serious." I was dumbfounded. Renesmee, _here_? No way, no way, no way!

"I've been around her long enough to know her scent," Inuyasha said slowly, realizing that I was on the verge of mental distress.

Oh crap.

How had she gone through the well? Why was she here? In fact, if she was here, where was she?

I glanced up at the sky; it was almost sunset. "Inuyasha, we've got to find her, quick!"

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Demon…wolf…tribe?

This strange boy was a demon, that much was obvious. But he was the leader of a tribe of demon _wolves_? Wait till Jacob hears about this one.

The boy named Kouga narrowed his eyes at me. "You have the Sacred Jewel shard?" he suddenly said and I automatically took another step backwards. "Hand it over!"

I was about to run away when two figures burst through the bushes. "K-kouga!" one of them panted as they stumbled into the clearing, out of breath. They were similarly dressed as Kouga with the exception of their hairstyles…Okay…people in this time have weird hair.

"You ninnies," Kouga said. "What took ya long?"

Before any of them could answer, I heard the light thud of paws on the ground and, a moment later, a pack of wolves burst through the bushes, all making a beeline for Kouga. "Slowpokes," Kouga muttered as the wolves crowded around him.

"Even without his Sacred Jewel shards, he's still fast, right Ginta?" one of the newcomers said to his fellow.

"Right, Hakaku," the one named Ginta agreed.

Now was a good time to slip away. I silently took a step back, but one of the brown wolves suddenly turned towards me and growled. Seeing a wolf growl at me…It was a strange feeling.

The trio, Kouga, Hakaku and Ginta, turned their attention to me and I froze on the spot.

"You!" Kouga said.

"Eh? Who's she, Kouga?" Hakaku asked.

"Her clothes are as foreign as Kagome's," Ginta added.

I perked up. "Kagome?" I asked. "You know Kagome?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"So, you guys are friends of Kagome's?" I asked Kouga. Night had finally set and the three wolf demons and I were sitting around a fire. Due to the fact that I was acquainted with Kagome, Kouga's attitude changed. He had become friendly enough, his rough manner easily evaporating.

Kouga nodded. "Actually, Kagome's my woman," he said.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" I asked, bewildered. "I thought she and Inuyasha—"

"Kouga has to win Kagome from Inuyasha first, actually," Hakaku said as he bit into a raw slab of pork from a wild boar they had killed earlier. Did they have to eat it raw? I could still see the blood on the meat and I felt my thirst pulsing dully in my throat. "Ow!" Kouga hit Hakaku on the head, making his face ram into the slab of raw pork.

"Shut it!" Kouga snapped. He turned his attention to me. "Anyway, you say you're a friend of Kagome's, right? Why do you have the Sacred Jewel shard and why aren't you with Kagome?"

I hesitated. I didn't know if Kouga could actually be trusted. "Well," I said carefully. "She entrusted the Sacred Jewel shard to me and I'm not with her 'cause I sort of…got lost."

Kouga nodded and didn't pry any further. "Well, if you're really a friend of Kagome's, I'd be happy to help you find her," he offered.

I smiled. "Thanks."

"But," he narrowed his eyes at me and I inwardly gulped. "What are you, really? You don't smell human, and you don't smell like a demon…"

"Er…Why don't you ask Kagome?" I offered.

He stared at me for a moment and then shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, if you'd rather keep it to yourself," he said. "None of my business, really."

I looked at him for a bit then turned my attention to the skies. The stars were beautiful—they were more visible in this time period than in the present and I just let myself marvel at them. Presently, I felt a huge yawn coming on which I managed to smother without attracting Kouga's attention.

Or so I thought. "Why don't you get some sleep?" he suddenly said. I blinked at him. Sleep…and risk him taking the Sacred Jewel shard from me?

"No thanks," I said, stifling another yawn.

"Suit yourself," the wolf said. For a moment, I thought of Jacob and longing filled me. What would Jacob be doing now? Would he looking for me? The fact that I was probably causing him to worry bothered me deeply—I didn't want Jake to worry. If only daylight would come! Then I could go look for Kagome and find a way home, out of this mess…

I sighed again and stared up at the skies, where the stars winked at me from above. Really, they were beautiful, those stars that seemed more like diamonds than heavenly bodies…

I felt my eyelids give way and presently, the darkness of sleep took me in its arms.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey, kid, get up." The voice was gruff. Urgh, had Jacob gotten a sore throat? I rolled over in my sleep, ignoring Jake.

"One more hour, Jake," I groaned.

"What's she saying?" another unfamiliar voice asked. "I can't understand her words, Kouga."

Huh? My eyes automatically flew open and I found the three wolf demons towering over me. I was propped against a tree. The sun had already risen, but, like yesterday, it was hidden behind the clouds; the cool morning air rustled in the tree tops.

Right.

I was in Feudal Japan…

I automatically sat up, blinking.

"Finally," Kouga said, turning his back on me. "C'mon kid, you wanna find Kagome, don't you? Let's get going—"

His words were cut short by a loud growl that came from my stomach. I blushed. Another thing about half-vampires—not only did they get thirsty, they also got _hungry_. How utterly unfair.

"Sorry," I said, blushing.

Kouga sighed. "Hakaku, go with her find her something to eat," he ordered.

I quickly stood up. "Um, that won't be necessary," I said quickly, not wanting to burden the other two wolves. "I can fend for myself, thanks."

"We can't let you out of our sight," Kouga said. "Kagome would get mad at me if something happens to you."

"No, really," I said, making for the woods. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

He nodded. "Don't take too long, you hear?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What could you eat in a forest?

As a half-vampire, hunger and thirst kept company inside of me, which was very annoying. Rosalie said that I should be grateful that I could eat human food like ice cream, pie, cake and so forth, seeing as vampires couldn't tolerate the stuff. Well, I was grateful, but that was back at home—at home, when I got hungry, I usually ate soft food like tofu, cake and sautéed vegetables since these foods didn't cause me any discomfort (having solids pass down your throat that felt as dry as the Sahara dessert wasn't exactly comfy). But where in Feudal Japan could I find those? Or maybe I could just hunt. Blood was good—it quenched both hunger and thirst at the same time.

Right.

When I was a good distance away from Kouga and the others, I closed my eyes and let my senses explore the forest. Hm…A bit far from where I was, I could hear the steady beating of the heart of a lone wild boar, slinking around in a meadow…I could hear a heavier heart a bit farther from where I was, a heart that seemed to flutter like a bird's wings, obviously, it would be a demon, so it was best to steer clear of that area…

Well, it looked like I was having wild boar for breakfast.

I inwardly sighed. Not exactly to my taste, but…

I ran as I followed the boar's scent, the cool morning air whipping past me. I darted passed trees and over bushes, my hunger and thirst now insistent than before. It had only been a few days since I had last hunted, and already I was thirsty…As soon as I thought of the thirst, it grew more insistent, chafing against my throat. This combined with the hunger in my stomach only increased my speed.

I came to the meadow. There was a gap in the bushes and I kept quiet. Through the gap in the bushes, I could see the boar. It was huge. And it was drinking from a stream.

Perfect.

I felt the hidden strength of a half-vampire in my muscles as I crouched on the ground, prepared to spring.

"Well, what do you know?" The wind suddenly blew passed me. At that instant, I caught a scent—the scent of flowery perfume and windswept leaves. The voice that spoke was feminine and somewhat seductive. I looked up and the first thing that came to my mind was annoyance—you too would be annoyed if your hunting was interrupted. The second thing that came to my mind was how my thirst suddenly burned within me. The third thing that came to mind was danger.

The owner of the voice was beautiful and she was riding on a feather that hovered several feet above me. Her hair was tied into a short ponytail above her head, the ponytail had feathers in it (feathers?). Her ears were pointed and she wore a pair of dangling jade earrings in her earlobes. Her eyes were a lustrous shade of red as were her lips. She wore a three layered kimono and she held a fan to her face, a fan which covered her mouth.

"Naraku was right, wasn't he, Hakudoshi?" the woman said. Another scent reached my nose. This time, it was the scent of pure water and wild violets.

"Hn." The owner of the second voice was hardly more than a child and he rode on a strange horse that smelled of fire. The boy called Hakudoshi looked around seven or eight. He looked like an albino with snow white hair, pale skin and lavender eyes. His kimono was white and he held a naginata in his hand. The horse he rode on was clearly demon. It had a fiery mane and tail and fire red eyes. Its hoofs were ablaze and it snorted menacingly at me.

One thing my mind was sure of: they were dangerous. Period.

"Find a foreign looking girl with strange clothing, and you'll find the last jewel shard," the woman said, her tone somewhat mocking. "Damn, Naraku being infallible most of the time is starting to get on my nerves."

"Focus, Kagura," the boy called Hakudoshi said, turning to his companion with those narrowed lavender eyes.

"Focus?" Kagura said. "She's just a girl. I'll leave the killing to you."

Ki…lling?

The blood froze in my veins. Even my thirst seemed to freeze over. These people…no, they were obviously demons. These demons were going to kill me and judging from what they just said, it was because of the Sacred Jewel shard I carried. How could Kagome have given me such a danger magnet? But then, she had said that I wouldn't be in any danger so as long as I was in the present…

I took a step back, the instinct for self-preservation taking over.

Run.

As soon as I thought of the word, my legs kicked into action, sending me flying through the trees. "Kagura, after her!" I heard the boy called Hakudoshi shout.

I heard loud neigh and knew then and there that they were following me. I pushed myself faster, racing through the trees. "Dammit, she's quick," I heard Kagura say.

I ran faster, feeling the wind whipping passed me.

Kouga. I had to get to Kouga! Surely, he could help me fend these two off? Darn, if only I knew where I was, though! I didn't know where I was—I was in a forest, that was all I knew. I could have traced my scent back to Kouga, but the presence of the woman named Kagura seemed to make the wind act up, erasing my scent.

I was lost.

"Dance of Blades!" I gasped and stopped in my tracks as strange, crescent-shaped wind rained from above, ramming into the ground before me and sending sprays of stone and debris into the air. Whoa…what was that? I whipped around just as Kagura and Hakudoshi caught up with me.

Kagura waved her fan and more crescent-shaped wind materialized out of thin air, speeding towards me. I jumped back to avoid them. It looked like I had no choice—I was going to have to fight them. Fear pooled within me. I knew I would loose, I knew I would die…My first thought was for Jacob and for the pain my death would bring him…

"Hand over the shard, girl, and maybe we'll let you live," Kagura said.

"No," Hakudoshi said. "Naraku said to kill her too."

Fear paralyzed me. Never before had I felt so close to death, not even when that demon attacked me yesterday did I feel the same fear as I felt now. Never before had death stared me so openly in the face.

The instinct for self-preservation kicked in. In a fraction of a second, I spun around and ran for it.

"Entei, stop her!" the imperious boy Hakudoshi said.

I heard a neigh and just as I was about to vanish into the trees, a tongue of flame circled around me, setting the grass at my feet ablaze. I gasped as I stopped in my tracks, feeling the heat that surrounded me.

Damn.

I was trapped.

"You've got nowhere to run now," Hakudoshi said as I spun around to face both him and Kagura.

The heat was blistering. I could actually feel the sweat dripping from my brow. The scent of burning grass reached my nose and my ears could hear the crackling of the flames.

I was going to die.

"She isn't so dangerous," Kagura said. "Just because Naraku met that other leech, doesn't mean he should be afraid of this one."

Other…leech…?

But I couldn't even think straight any more. The heat from the flames was too much…

"Hakudoshi, is it kind to let her suffer like this?" Kagura asked as she raised her fan. "Let's just get this over with."

"No. Naraku said the only way to kill them definitely is to burn them."

I coughed, inhaling smoke as I did so. I had to find a way out of this fast. I considered jumping over the flames, but Kagura would most likely send her wind blades at me. For a brief moment, I wondered if those wind blades could cut through the vampire skin…

But coherent thought was beyond me. The flames grew hotter and, it seemed to me, even higher…

I actually felt my knees start to shake. My breath came out in gasps as I struggled to find a way out of my predicament…

There was no way out, however.

I was cornered, trapped.

And I was going to die…

I felt myself fall to my knees, a hand on my mouth, coughing, struggling to draw in a breath of air that wasn't smoke. I felt myself shaking. For a brief moment, a thought about what the afterlife was like for vampires flashed through my mind…

My vision slowly started to turn black…

I was going to find out, it seems…

"You!" Hakudoshi's voice suddenly cried out, enraged.

But I couldn't hear what else he said…

Everything went black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Do you think she's alright, Master Jaken?" The voice was sweet, concerned and belonged to a child. The owner of the voice had a sweet scent, too.

Hm…Carlisle said once that angels had sweet scents…

Did this mean that I was dead?

No, I couldn't be. I still felt the burning pain of the thirst in my throat.

"Obviously, she's alive, Rin!" a second voice answered. This voice was harsh, somewhat high-pitched and belonged to an owner who smelled of vegetation and a faint hint of swamp water. "She's breathing, isn't she?"

Huh? What happened? I was about to die, wasn't I?

"Good thing Lord Sesshoumaru saved her!" the owner of the sweet, childlike voice declared. "She's very pretty."

"Lord Sesshoumaru didn't save her, idiot!" the second voice answered. "He was after Hakudoshi and Kagura!"

"Hmm…"

I opened my eyes, blinking as I did so. The first thing I realized was that I was propped against a tree, sitting against it, more like. The first thing I saw was a remarkably sweet looking little girl of about seven or eight. She had large chocolate brown eyes, richer in color than mine. She wore her hair in a lopsided ponytail which only seemed to make her look sweeter. She wore a checkered orange kimono but she didn't wear any zori or sandals.

The second thing I saw made my eyes widen in shock. It was a…toad? I think it was a toad. In any case, it had bulging yellow eyes and a beak for a mouth. Its skin was a scaly green color and it wore…kimono? And it carried a little two-headed staff…

Bizarre. Or maybe I was just dreaming…

"I think you scared her, Master Jaken," the little girl remarked.

"Oh do be quiet, Rin!"

That snapped me out of my reverie. I blinked stupidly, and stared at them both. "Hi!" the little girl named Rin greeted.

I blinked again. "Um…hello," I answered timidly. Great…What had I gotten myself into now?

"My name's Rin!" the little girl said with a small, shy smile. "And this is Master Jaken." She gestured to the little toad-like fellow.

"Er…my name is Renesmee Cullen," I answered.

Rin blinked innocently at me. "Re…rey…nus…may?" she stuttered.

"You can call me Ness for short," I said. I inwardly sighed. What made my mom give me that name I will never know.

She smiled at me. "Okay, miss Ness," she said.

I glanced around. "Um…can you please tell me where I am?" I asked. "I…don't remember much."

The girl's smile only widened. "Lord Sesshoumaru saved you!" she said.

"And you should be grateful for it!" the one named Jaken declared.

I glanced around. There didn't seem to be anyone there whom I should thank other than the little girl and the strange imp. Out of the corner of my eye, I made out a two-headed dragon lying on the grass not far from us. Wait…two-headed dragon…? Okay…I won't even react. I had too much to think about as it were.

I stood up. My legs were a bit shaky, but I managed. "I have to go," I said. "There was someone waiting for me. I think he'd be impatient by now."

"And long gone by now," Jaken added.

"What?" I asked.

"Er…you've been unconscious the whole morning, miss Ness," Rin said hesitantly.

Crap. I glanced up at the sky. The sun was still hidden behind a thick veil of clouds, but it was definitely overhead. No way. It was almost afternoon.

"Crap!" I cried out, panicking. What if Kouga had left? Darn it! And he was my ticket to Kagome! I was about to run off but I stopped in my tracks and looked back at Rin and Jaken, who were both giving me curious looks. "Please tell this Lord Sesshoumaru of yours thank you for me," I said.

But they weren't paying any attention to me. They were both looking behind me and then Rin let out a cry of delight. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" she cried out, waving.

I spun around and that's when I first saw him, emerging from the shadow of the trees. He was intimidating, I'll give him that much. He was at least a head taller than me. He had lustrous silver hair that fell past his back and over his forehead in the form of elegant bangs that parted in the center. Partly hidden behind his parted bangs was a Prussian blue crescent moon. His eyes were a beautiful shade of gold, a shade that seemed to make the golden eyes of vampires seem dull in comparison. He had two magenta stripes on each side of his cheeks and one stripe on each eye lid. His eyes, aside from being the color of molten gold, were cold and impassive.

As if his looks alone weren't enough to bring about a bout of intimidation, he wore armor. His armor included a spiked pauldron that covered his left shoulder attached to the upper section of his cuirass. Queer. His armor and his clothing were certainly influenced by the mainland and not by the usual obi and kimono of Japan. His kimono was mostly white with red honeycomb crests at the collar and sleeves. Since I'd been madly obsessed with Japan before, I recognized the hakama he wore as sashinuki hakama. He wore flat pointed ankle-high boots also reminiscent of the Mainland. But what caught my attention were the two swords strapped at his waist.

Whoa. One word: deadly. Period.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin waved happily as he made his way towards us. At that moment, the wind blew softly towards me, bringing this demon's scent with it.

The moment his scent hit me, I lost it. The fire that had been burning in my throat seemed to blaze anew with the same intensity as a million suns. This demon's scent was…irresistible, desirable and virtually indescribable and it drew me in. His scent—the blood that flowed throughout his veins—was like a supermassive black hole and I was the tiny, helpless planet that was being mercilessly and inevitably drawn in. I knew then that this was what Edward had gone through when he had first met Bella; I knew then that this was what Jasper had gone through when he first smelled Kagome…

I _wanted _him.

The fire in my throat blazed.

Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowed at me.

I heard a feral snarl escape me. I felt myself crouch down in a hunting position, ready to spring and strike. I growled at him as I felt the fire raging in my throat.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: whoa, that was long. But I hope it makes up for my really late updates!**

**Inuyasha: whatever.**

**Kagome: why don't you all show the author a little appreciation?**

**A1969: and what better way to show appreciation than in the form of nice reviews? So, review please and thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!**


	7. Singer

**A1969: I know, I know, ages—it's been ages.**

**Inuyasha: more like millenniums.**

**A1969: can it! Anyway, thank you all so much for the reviews!**

**Kagome: as always!  
Inuyasha: the author would like to say one thing—she owns neither Twilight nor Inuyasha nor any of its respective characters, got it?**

**A1969: oh, and there's one more character's perspective I'm including—you'll never guess who! **

**-o-o-Chapter Seven-o-o-**

**-Singer-**

**-.-Jaken-.-**

Insolent wench!

Is this how the wench shows milord gratitude after he _unintentionally_ saves her from Hakudoshi and Kagura? By growling at him? How dare she?!

The girl, Ness, I believe she was called, crouches down in front of my lord. Her eyes are narrowed into tiny slits and a growl rumbles deep in her chest. She looks frenzied, a look akin to bloodlust written clearly on her face.

Milord stops in his tracks, a swiftly placed hand on the hilt of his powerful blade, Bakusaiga. Show that wench, milord!

"Master Jaken, what's gotten into Miss Ness?" Rin asks.

True—what has gotten into that wench? A moment ago, she was fine, but now…

Hmph! One thing is certain—no one dares act in such a way towards Lord Sesshoumaru and lives to tell the tale!

"Master Jaken!" Rin persists.

"I don't know!" I snapped. "Be quiet, Rin!"

I turned my attention back to milord. His eyes are narrowed at the girl, as though assessing what sort of strength she had. Milord needn't do that! He could defeat anyone! Suddenly, with a frightening growl, the girl Ness rushes at milord. Milord easily sidesteps the girl, causing her to run past him. The girl is quick—too quick for a human or a half-breed. Hm…

Ness spins around and charges at milord again, her hands outstretched, that frenzied look still in her eyes. Milord draws out his blade and slashes at the girl, but she's quick. Before the blade could reach her, she jumps back, landing a few yards away, growling menacingly, eyes frenzied.

Kill her, Lord Sesshoumaru!

The wench charges at milord again. Milord does not move. He stands his ground, his sword pointed at the girl. There is a pulse of energy as the sword glows with a bright blue color.

"Dragon Strike!"

Blue light shot out of the sword and towards the ungrateful wench, who suddenly stops in her tracks, her wide eyes staring at the attack headed towards her. Instinctively, she shields her face with her arms as milord's Dragon Strike hits her, sending her flying into the trees which are felled by milord's awesome power. As she is thrown back against the clutter of fallen trees, methinks I see a glimmer fly out from her...Who cares?! Milord showed her!

Lord Sesshoumaru is indeed amazing!

What's this?! The girl is still standing?

Ness gets shakily to her feet. Cuts cover her body from head to toe and she appears dishevelled. As she stands among the felled trees, she shakes slightly, as though she were in great pain. Huh? The frenzied look is gone from her eyes. It was as if milord's mighty strike knocked some sense back into the girl.

No matter. Lord Sesshoumaru will finish her off!

"Ow," the girl groans, shaking her head as though to clear it. She mutters something in a strange tongue and glances around, shocked by what she sees—the trees felled to the ground, piles of earth tossed up by milord's strike.

Lord Sesshoumaru calmly makes his way to the girl, sword clutched in his hand. Ha! He intends to finish her off!

Ness looks up as milord approaches her. Her eyes widen in...fear or surprise? I couldn't tell. She takes a step away from milord as her eyes slowly regain their frenzied look.

"Master Jaken, I think Miss Ness is possessed," Rin whispers.

So what?

"Master Jaken, we have to stop Lord Sesshoumaru!" the brat insists.

"Be quiet!" I snap, keeping my eyes on milord.

The wind blows softly at milord as he nears the girl who takes a step back. Suddenly—I will not forget it until I figure out the enigma of what this girl was—the clouds shift and a shaft of sunlight illuminates the clearing...

"Wow..." Rin says.

Indeed. Though there is nothing beautiful about the wench—there are other demonesses far more beauteous than she is—the moment the sunlight fell on her, I was surprised. Her skin glowed like the moon, enhancing what little beauty she had. Lord Sesshoumaru stops in his tracks...surprised? I couldn't tell. However, this doesn't last for more than a mere second. Milord continues to make his way towards her and the girl takes several steps back, fear written all over her face...as well as pain?

The wind softly blows against milord, sending his mane of silver hair to one side. An impressive figure indeed!

Ness's eyes suddenly widen as she takes one final step back. She covers her nose with both of her hands—milord does not reek, fool!

"I'm...so...sorry!" she suddenly says to milord, in a pained and strained voice.

What?

Before milord could even strike the girl, she turns on her heel and runs off into the trees and out of sight.

"Master Jaken?" Rin asks.

I let out a sigh. "Be quiet, Rin."

I was just as mystified as she was. Why did the girl—after attacking milord—apologize? It was not what one would have expected. Also, why was it that she covered her nose, as though repulsed by milord's scent?

Very enigmatic, if you ask me.

Speaking of milord...

Lord Sesshoumaru suddenly kneels to the ground in order to pick up a most curious object. I make my way over to milord.

"What is it, Lord Sesshoumaru?" I ask as I approach milord. He stands up and stares at a curious object in his hand. He lowers his hand slightly so as to allow me to see. There, nestled in the palm of milord's hand, is a large ball made of adamant, cut into a million facets and glittering in the sunlight. But what was most strange was what was in the adamant—a Sacred Jewel Shard, glowing a tainted black.

"Hn...a strange girl," Lord Sesshoumaru says, his voice cold, his eyes on the trees through which Ness had vanished through earlier.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Run away.

That was the first sane thing that popped into my head the moment what's-his-name's attack hit me head on. The pain of that strike was intense, so intense that—for a moment—the burning in my throat seemed almost soothing in comparison. But that lasted for only a moment. The second I managed to get back on my feet, what's-his-name's scent hit me like a wrecking ball...no, not like a wrecking ball—his scent hit me like uncle Emmett charging at me head-on. It was all I could do to keep from rushing at him again. The only thing that had stopped me from attacking what's-his-name again was my instinct for self-preservation.

Instinct for self-preservation: attack what's-his-name and he will kill you.

So—after a hasty apology—I ran, putting as wide a distance between me and...what's-his-name as much as possible (really, his name escaped me—it was so complicated).

I rushed past the trees, putting as many miles between me and that demon as was possible. I had to get away from that demon—from that scent...

The moment I thought of it, the ache in my throat blazed, making me stop in my tracks. Urgh! Dammit! I wanted to turn back badly. I wanted to find him...I _wanted_ him. I never wanted anything so badly in my life...

I held my head with both of my hands as a mental battle raged in my mind.

Go back.

Don't go back.

I want him.

He's going to kill me—he nearly did. I mean, for the first time in my life, I was covered with cuts that bled. Though they were already healing, they were still cuts.

Have I ever smelled anything so enticing before? What would it be like if I could...drink his blood?

I would never know because he would kill me.

But no—I could try to ambush him. I could stalk him. He had companions—no, they were not companions. In my mind's eye they were already collateral damage. As the thirst raged inside me, I could feel myself slipping to the ground, my head in my hands. I had to snap out of it—I had to control my thirst...

Control it? Why not gratify it?

I could easily go back...

No...I shouldn't...

My throat blazed and I shut my eyes.

The memory of his scent was still too strong, still too overwhelming. It was this memory that made me want to go back...

Go back...

That demon was fast. Could I outrun him? Or...maybe I could take him by surprise? No, that wasn't possible—he would hear me coming...

Wait...what was I thinking? I shouldn't be thinking about these things! I should be thinking...

But what's-his-name's scent was just too, too...desirable.

I was certain, one hundred percent, that his blood would be sweeter, more satisfying, more strengthening than human blood...

Stop, Renesmee Carlie Cullen! Don't you dare think about...about...about that sweet, delectable...

Argh!

Dammit, dammit, dammit!

Forget him, forget him, forget him, forget him, forget him...

But I couldn't. Trying to forget that scent...

It was next to impossible.

Dad...Edward...how did you do it? How did you overcome your lust for Bella's blood? How? Was it because my father was strong and I was not? Was it because he had had the restraint and I didn't? Was it because he did not want to be a monster?

But wait...what's-his-name was a demon...in essence a monster...so..._if_ I managed to get to him...that wouldn't make me a monster, would it?

Don't think about him! Don't think about that more than appealing, mouth-watering, delectable scent...

Shoot.

I took a deep breath, hoping the pure, clean air would make me forget about...that...irresistible scent...

Deep breaths...

Breathe in, breathe out...

Breathe in, breathe out...

Drats! That scent was all I could think about...

I placed one hand on the ground and gouged out a handful of earth, feeling the soil slip through my fingers...

Control, control, control...

Heh. Amidst trying to control my thirst, this situation called to mind a conversation I had with Jacob months ago. I had once told him that I would never find a singer (a person whose blood called out to a vampire, the way what's-his-name's blood called out to me) because he was my only singer (and no, his blood is not at all appealing to me in that way). Well, whaddya know? I _do _find a singer. And he's not a person either...

The moment I thought of him again, the thirst raged inside my throat. I closed my eyes. I wanted to go back...

But I knew I mustn't.

If I went back, he was most assuredly going to kill me...

And if he killed me, then Jacob would suffer.

I did not want Jake to suffer. No, I would rather be faced with a million singers—their blood making my throat burn—than have Jake suffer because of my raging bloodlust...

I closed my eyes and continued to battle the thirst.

**-o-Kagome-o-**

Oh, where was she?

I could think of nothing else as Inuyasha and everyone else searched for Renesmee. Worry was the dominant emotion at the moment. I mean, sure, Renesmee was a half-vampire, she could probably take care of herself, but how would she fare against demons? And demons were certain to go after her seeing as she had the last Sacred Jewel shard with her...

"Inuyasha, are you sure you're not picking up anything?" Miroku asked as we darted through the forest. Sango rode Kirara with him behind her while I rode on Inuyasha's back. I could feel his shoulders tense beneath my hands, as though Miroku's question annoyed him.

"No," he grumbled. "It led away from Kaede's village, just like Kaede said, and it went to the village where Kikyou was...but it's just gone."

Miroku looked at me. "Kagome, you say this friend of yours found the last Sacred Jewel shard?" he asked. I nodded. "And that she's one of the vampires from your Era?"

I nodded again. "But she's only half," I pointed out. "And she doesn't go for humans."

Miroku nodded, but he was silent, wondering what to expect from the half-vampire. Speaking of which, where on earth was Renesmee?

"Inuyasha..." I began, feeling the wind whip past me.

"Can it, Kagome," he said, annoyed. "Look, I'm not picking up her scent, okay? It's just faded already, I guess. After all, it was windy last night."

I bit down an angry retort. Last night, we should've gone after Renesmee instead of procrastinating! If we'd just gone after Renesmee last night, maybe we'd have found her by now! But what was I thinking? I should be grateful to Inuyasha for agreeing to help me find her...

"We'll find her," Inuyasha suddenly spoke up.

"Eh?"

"Just stop worrying, okay?" he said gruffly as he jumped over a bush. "We'll find Renesmee and grab the Sacred Jewel shard, got it?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Yeah, sure," I said placidly. "I won't worry. I have faith in you—I know you'll find her."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Kagome, are you sure you can't sense the Sacred Jewel shard she has?" Inuyasha asked, exasperated.

We had stopped to rest near a forest of spruce and cedar trees, their scent comforting. But I couldn't be comforted. We had searched the whole morning and a good part of the afternoon and still no sign of Renesmee.

"I can't," I said, sighing. "She's too far away for me to sense it, I guess."

"Kagome, maybe she went back to your world?" Sango suggested.

I stared at her, my eyes wide. Of course...Renesmee wasn't stupid...what if she just jumped back into the well after all? The more I thought about it, the more stupid I felt...

"It's...possible," I muttered. I quickly stood up and grabbed Inuyasha's wrist. "C'mon, Inuyasha, we have to go back and—" I stopped when I felt a familiar pull coming from the forest; at the same time, Inuyasha growled menacingly.

"I sense a Sacred Jewel shard!" I gasped, excited, turning my attention to the forest as the familiar pull drew closer and closer.

Renesmee!

At the mention of the words 'Sacred Jewel shard' everyone automatically stood up, both tense and expecting.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, if I were you," Inuyasha said menacingly as he pulled his wrist from my grasp. "I'm picking up Sesshoumaru's scent."

"What?" everyone said in unison.

Sesshoumaru?

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Inuyasha."

We all tensed and turned to the forest just as a figure emerged from the trees.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha growled, standing in front of me and the others to face his elder brother.

Sesshoumaru emerged from the shadows, his eyes fixed on his younger brother. Behind him followed Jaken and Rin, who led Ah-Un by the reins. Well...if they were here, then that meant that we had just come across Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru, you bastard," Inuyasha hissed, pulling out his Tessaiga. "What're you doing here?"

"I don't have to answer to you," he retorted as his companions stopped right behind him.

As I gazed at him, my eyes fell on a pinkish glimmer, hidden in the right sleeve of his haori, a pinkish glimmer that was visible only to me. "The Sacred Jewel shard!" I gasped, elbowing Inuyasha out of the way. "Where did you get that?"

"Don't you dare speak to milord in that manner!" Jaken snapped, waving that staff of his at me. Sometimes, I honestly think he's a little obsessed with Sesshoumaru.

I ignored the toad and glared at Sesshoumaru, who stared at me with boredom written all over his face. "Well?" I demanded.

"Kagome, what the hell are you—?" Inuyasha began but stopped as soon as he saw the look I was giving him. He had many opportunities to fight with his brother but this was not one of them.

Sesshoumaru placed a hand into the sleeve of his haori and drew out a large diamond with the Sacred Jewel shard in it. He held it up for me to see.

"Where did you get that?" I demanded.

Sesshoumaru did not answer; instead, he tossed the diamond at me. It nearly slipped through my fingers as I caught it. "Answer me!" I repeated.

"I don't have to answer to the likes of you," he said as he and his group made their way past us; Miroku and Sango immediately scurried over to one side to allow them to pass. Argh! He's such an arrogant jerk! No wonder why Inuyasha hates him so much.

"Sesshoumaru!" I called out. "This diamond—a girl had it. Where is she?"

Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks and glanced at me from over his shoulder. "So, that insane girl was a friend of yours, wasn't she?" He turned to Inuyasha. "But then again, I shouldn't be surprised at the company you keep, Inuyasha."

"What?!" Inuyasha snarled, his grip on Tessaiga tightening. "This is coming from a mongrel who keeps a child and an imp with him?"

Touché.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes dangerously at Inuyasha. Rin looked puzzled while Jaken looked indignant. "How dare you speak to milord in that way!" he snarled, stepping in front of his lord. He suddenly turned to me, a grin on his face. "And as to the girl you're looking for—Lord Sesshoumaru showed her!"

I could feel the blood freeze in my veins. I turned to Sesshoumaru, my eyes wide with disbelief. "Y...you didn't," I whispered, gulping.

"She ran off." Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and walked off, his companions following after him. I blinked. What? Renesmee was safe? She ran away? But...how did she wind up confronting Sesshoumaru in the first place...?

"Bastard," Inuyasha muttered as soon as his brother was out of earshot. He sheathed Tessaiga and huffed.

"At least we know your friend's alive, Kagome," Sango said. "But...why did Sesshoumaru try to kill her in the first place, as Jaken puts it?"

I sighed and looked at the diamond in the palm of my hand. "Yeah," I said, wondering what Ness could have done to incur Sesshoumaru's ruthlessness. "But...where is she? If she ran off before Sesshoumaru...killed her, then where could she have gone?"

"At least we got the last Sacred Jewel shard back," Inuyasha said in an optimistic tone of voice.

"Sit."

I ignored his grumbling as I continued staring at the jewel. How on earth was I going to find Renesmee now? If the shard was still with her, I could have tried to sense its presence, but now...

What to do?

As I stared at the shard, I saw only one solution. I sighed as I pocketed the Sacred Jewel shard. "Inuyasha, we're going to have to ask the Cullens for help."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"We don't need their help, Kagome!" Inuyasha complained as we trudged towards the well. "We can find Renesmee _on our own_."

I ignored Inuyasha as we approached the well. I turned to Miroku and Sango. "Inuyasha and I won't be gone for long," I said. "We're just going to find other people who can help us."

"We don't need their help!" Inuyasha insisted, annoyed at the thought of needing the Cullens' help.

I turned to him. "Inuyasha," I said slowly. "We do need their help. I mean—Renesmee is still missing! And look—she's managed to bump into Sesshoumaru of all people and she didn't run from him unscathed, it seems. Face it. We need their help. After all, nine noses are better than one!"

"Kagome," Miroku said. "These people you intend to ask for help—Renesmee's family, I take it? Are they like her as well?"

I nodded. "Yeah, they are, but unlike her, they're full-blooded vampires, but you guys have nothing to worry about—they hunt animals, not people."

Miroku nodded, but something told me that both he and Sango would be talking about everyone's safety the moment we left. I turned to Inuyasha who was still pouting at me, his arms crossed. "C'mon, Inuyasha, we have to go," I coaxed. I suddenly realized how mad or annoyed he probably was at me.

"Bah!" he said. "Kagome, we don't need them—we can find her on our own."

I sighed. "Inuyasha, it'll be quicker this way," I reasoned. "Besides, as I said earlier, if Renesmee managed to get in to a scuffle with Sesshoumaru, what next, an alliance with Naraku?"

He sighed and nodded. "Fine," he said condescendingly.

I smiled at him as I perched on the well, glad that he was no longer annoyed...I think.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Oh, Kagome!" were the first words that greeted me and Inuyasha as soon as we stepped out of the Well Shrine.

I automatically glanced up at my mother, who was running towards Inuyasha and me with a broom in her hands. There was an anxious look on her face and she sounded so worried.

"Mom, what is it?" I asked as soon as she came over.

She panted, clutching the broom for support. "Do you remember those people who were with you several days ago?"

The blood froze in my veins again. "Yeah, the Cullens," I said carefully. "Why?" Beside me, I could feel Inuyasha tense.

Mama straightened up and looked at me. "They came here early this morning," she went on. "Apparently, that pretty girl...Renesmee, I think, was supposed to meet up with you. They were wondering if you've seen her because she hasn't returned yet." There was a worried look in her eyes.

So, the Cullens were already looking for Renesmee? "And what did you tell them?" I asked.

Mama was silent for a moment. "I told them you were out of town with friends since yesterday," she said. "I'm sorry if I didn't go with fake illnesses, Kagome, but I just couldn't think of any then!" Of course not. I mean, who would be able to think coherently when faced with the godly perfection of those vampires?

I nodded. "It's alright, Mama," I reassured her.

She was silent again, a thoughtful look on her face. "Kagome, you haven't actually seen Renesmee, have you?" she asked.

I glanced around to make sure that there wasn't anyone in the Shrine. The shrine grounds were silent. The only noises came from the rustling of the wind among the branches of the Goshinboku and the musical twittering of the larks that perched on the curved eaves of the shrine.

"Yes," I answered at last. "I know where she is—she's in the Feudal Era."

Mama's eyes widened. "My...how did that happen?"

I shook my head. "Anyway, Mama, Inuyasha and I are going to go find the Cullens now."

Excusing myself from Mama, Inuyasha and I went towards the house just as Souta was coming out the door. "Oh, hey sis!" he greeted. "Hey, Inuyasha!"

"Hey twerp," Inuyasha said. I inwardly smiled. Souta and Inuyasha were much closer now than they were before—Inuyasha's somewhat affectionate-teasing-brotherly tone proved it.

"Oh, sis," Souta said, following Inuyasha and me into the house. "Those...weird people...the Cullens were—"

"I know, Souta," I said, sighing as I took off my shoes and kicked them aside. "Why don't you go help Mama with her sweeping?" I suggested.

Souta suddenly looked as though he remembered something. "That's right!" he said. "I was supposed to help Mama! See ya later, Inuyasha!" Without further ado, he slid the door aside and stepped out.

"Now that he's gone," Inuyasha said, following me into the kitchen which was deserted except for Buyo who was dozing next to the sink. "What do you have in mind?"

"Eh? About the Cullens, you mean?" I asked, grabbing an empty glass from the rack and filling it with water from the faucet.

He nodded.

I sighed as I turned the faucet off. I leaned against the sink and took a sip of water before answering him.

"We're going to have to tell them about the Feudal Era," I said slowly. He gave me a disbelieving look; after all, I've been trying to keep the Feudal Era secret, right? And here I was—offering to reveal my greatest secret to a bunch of vampires whom I didn't know well.

"Tell them about the Feudal Era? Are you absolutely insane?" Inuyasha snapped.

I sighed. I knew he was going to be difficult. "Inuyasha, how will we ask them to help us find Renesmee if we don't tell them anything about the Feudal Era?"

"We can find Renesmee _on our own_," he said again, in a firm voice.

"_We need their help_," I deplored, my voice as firm as his.

He looked insulted. "You think I'm not capable of finding her?" he asked. "Ha! I bet I could sniff her out first."

I sighed and softened a bit. "Inuyasha, I'm not saying you can't find her," I said, setting my empty glass on the sink. "It's just that...well...they _are _her family—they have a right to know where she is. And I know you're more than capable of finding her...it's just that...well...more heads are faster than one, right?"

He was silent. Boy, he must really not like the Cullens...Jasper in particular.

"Inuyasha," I said again. "I have faith in you...it's just that we need to find her quickly, that's all." I pulled out the diamond from my skirt pocket and held it up for him to see. "Look—she already had an obvious run in with Sesshoumaru...who knows what'll happen next?"

He let out a sigh. "Fine," he said condescendingly. "But just remember—this is your idea! Don't go blaming me if anything goes wrong!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I stared nervously at the telephone, as though it was going to bite me.

"Well?" Inuyasha demanded. He was standing right behind me, leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest, watching with amusement at my efforts to pick up the phone. "I thought you were going to call them?" He sounded a little smug.

I glared at him then turned my attention back to the phone. "Just a moment," I said. "I'm thinking about what I'm going to say."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh," he said. "Just tell Bella and Edward that their kid nearly got killed by a bastard."

I rolled my eyes. Inuyasha was just so tactless sometimes. "Right," I mumbled to myself as I picked up the phone. I dialled the hotel number and asked to be connected to Edward Cullen's room. As the phone rang, I thought about what I would say to them...

"Hello?" a high soprano voice suddenly asked. The owner of the voice was Bella, I was sure of it—she and Jacob were the only ones among the Cullens who couldn't speak Japanese. Her voice sounded like tinkling bells. But she also sounded worried.

I switched to English. "Um...Bella?" I tried to ignore the fact that my own voice must have sounded rough in comparison.

"Who is this?" the soprano voice asked suspiciously.

"Um...this is...Kagome Higurashi. I don't know if you remember me, but—"

"Yes, I remember you," Bella interrupted, her tinkling voice somewhat hasty. "You're the girl with the demon...Kagome, let me get right to the point—Renesmee is missing and Jacob informs me that you were supposed to meet with her—have you seen her?"

"Yeah...I have," I admitted. "But—"

"Where is she?" Bella demanded. I tried not to be annoyed; after all, her daughter was missing.

"That's why I called you," I said. "I know where is she is, but—"

"Where is she?" Bella interrupted again, worried.

I inwardly sighed, trying to ignore the annoyance that crept up on me. "I have a lot to explain," I said. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to meet me at the playground. That way I could explain things better."

Bella was silent for a moment and I could only imagine the worry she must be feeling right now. I glanced at Inuyasha again. He was looking at me, his eyebrows raised at my switch of language.

"Is she alright?" Bella suddenly asked, after several moments of silence. "Has she been harmed?"

For a brief moment, I thought of what Sesshoumaru had said. He had said that Renesmee had run off...unscathed? But, remembering Jaken's remark, I highly doubted it. Of course, I couldn't tell Bella that—she and everyone else would freak.

"No," I said, ignoring my conscience.

"Thank god," Bella said, sighing. "What time are we to meet you?"

I glanced at the clock—it was already three. "Three-thirty," I said. "At the play ground."

I could almost picture Bella nodding. "We'll be there."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I don't trust them," Inuyasha muttered fifteen minutes later as we made our way down the Shrine steps. He slapped his baseball cap into place and crossed his arms.

I was silent. Even I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing—deciding on telling the Cullens, I mean. Sure, they were Renesmee's family, but could they be trusted with my greatest secret?

"You know, instead of asking for their help, we could've just used the time we _wasted_ on finding Renesmee," Inuyasha pointed out.

I sighed. "She'd still tell them about the Feudal Era, I think."

"Not if we make her shut up." We started walking down the street. Several people stared curiously at Inuyasha and I sighed at all the eyes he was catching—a few of them girls, I'll admit. I chose not to reply to him as we rounded a corner and continued walking, letting silence come between us.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When we reached the play ground, it was deserted—except for the vampires waiting for me, that is.

Almost everyone was there, to my surprise. Bella was sitting on the swing, pushing gently with her foot, looking up at Edward who stood in front of her, talking about something I couldn't catch. Rosalie and Emmett were at the jungle gym; she sat high up on one of the metal bars and he leaned his head against her knee. To my surprise, Jasper and Alice were there, standing by the seesaw. The moment he caught wind of my scent, Jasper automatically clung to Alice's shoulder with one hand, a pained look on his face.

Alice spoke soothingly to him, placed her own hand over the hand on her shoulder, looked at me and, to my surprise, smiled, despite the grim atmosphere. Everyone else suddenly looked up. Bella automatically stood up from her swing and that goddess Rosalie hopped down gracefully from her perch as Inuyasha and I made our way towards them, his arm draped protectively across my shoulders.

"Kagome," Bella began as she and Edward made their way towards us.

"WHERE THE HELL IS RENESMEE?!" a voice boomed. Jacob was making his way towards us; he had been skulking in the shadows, it seemed. He pushed past Emmett—or rather, Emmett stood aside to let him pass—and made his way towards me.

He looked terrible. There were shadows underneath his eyes and he looked visibly tired. His hair was somewhat tousled, as though he had been racking his hands through it in worry.

Inuyasha growled at him, and drew me tighter against him, his other hand already on the hilt of Tessaiga.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY NESS—?" Before Jacob could finish, Edward placed a hand on his shoulder, silencing him.

"Jacob, control yourself," he ordered.

"THEY'VE GOT NESS!"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Edward said. "You're not the only one here who's worried about her. Move, will you?"

Grumbling, Jacob reluctantly stepped aside so he and Bella could stand in front of Inuyasha and me.

"You know where she is?" Bell asked. Her golden eyes were frantic.

I nodded. "Yes," I said. "I can show you where she is."

Edward suddenly looked at me with cold, hard, accusatory eyes. "If you've harmed her—or even a single hair on her head—"

"Finish that sentence, and I'll kill you," Inuyasha threatened.

"Inuyasha!" I snapped.

Edward was silent, his eyes assessing Inuyasha. "Edward, please," Bella spoke up. "Just because they know where Renesmee is doesn't mean they're the ones who took her."

Bella seemed to calm him down. "Fine," he said, still glaring at Inuyasha. "Show us where she is. Now."

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

I'm cool.

I was fine.

I could handle it...

I had been sort of bowing, my forehead pressed against the warm grass of the forest floor, both my hands on my head, as though to keep it down. All around me, the forest hummed with life—the leaves rustling in the trees above, pheasants soaring high in the sky, their wings making a smooth sound as they cut through the air, insects marching incessantly everywhere.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I carefully sat up. Urgh...how long had I been like that, trying to control my thirst?

I glanced up at the sky. Maybe it was around four or five, I couldn't really tell. I carefully stood up and took another deep breath, letting the pure air fill my lungs. The blaze in my throat had calmed down...for now, at least.

I took another deep breath, just enjoying the pure air, free of _his_ scent...

Oh no...don't think about him...don't think about your singer (I had begun to refer to him as 'singer' instead of 'what's-his-name')...that cold, golden-eyed singer with the luscious...

The flame in my throat blazed.

Dammit. Not again.

I quickly forced myself to think of something harmless.

Dogs.

My throat ached. There was just something about my singer that reminded me of dogs, I guess. Must have something to do with that strange fluffy thing on his shoulder...

The moment I thought of my singer again, an image of him filled my mind and the memory of his scent came back.

My throat blazed.

Shoot! Urgh...think of something else, Ness. I took a huge gulp air as the thirst persisted.

Hm...that strange little green guy...Jaken, I think, the one that tagged along with my singer. Ick...not that he was offensive, it was just that the memory of his swampy scent was enough to discourage any vampire. He wasn't smelly—it was just that his scent was...weird.

Well, whaddya know? Thinking about the little green guy actually worked.

I sighed, pushed each and every single thought of my singer from my mind and took another gulp of air. Alright, now all I had to do was find a way to get to Kagome...

"You seem to be in a dilemma."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. The voice was cultured, smooth and male...and belonged to an owner who had managed to sneak up on me.

I quickly spun around. There, standing underneath the shadow of a cedar tree, was a young man. He was, undeniably, very attractive with raven dark hair that fell in a somewhat messy, somewhat neat cascade to his back and which contrasted strikingly with his pale skin. He wore a dark blue colored kimono with equally dark blue hakama and sandals; he also wore a dark blue jacket with black lining over his kimono. His scent was...sharp, reminding me of Hugo Boss, yet, somehow, slightly unpleasing...

The fact that I hadn't heard him coming told me one thing—

This young man was a demon.

"Who are you?" I demanded, automatically taking several steps backward.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I have no intention of harming you," he reassured. "I merely wished to offer my assistance."

Assistance?

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You can't help me," I said. "I'm looking for someone named Kagome."

He nodded, smiling at me. "Kagome," he repeated. "I may have heard of her."

Relief suddenly coursed through me. Boy, it seemed that Kagome was popular in the past. Note to self: check Japanese history books for any mention of Kagome Higurashi.

Looking at the young man, all my doubts seemed to vanish. It was almost hard not to trust him—he seemed so sincere.

"What's your name?" I asked.

He smiled as he took several steps towards me. "My name is Naraku."

Naraku...I think I've heard of that name before...

But where?

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: end of chapter. Ha...Cliffy!  
Inuyasha: -snort- idiot.**

**A1969: I'm ignoring you...Anyway, thanks a million to everyone who reviewed! I know I took so long in posting this chapter, but I had so much stuff to do—that and I got a little Writer's Block for this chapter. But let's thank a certain Inuyasha character who helped get rid of my Writer's Block –drags out...-**

**Inuyasha: you gotta be kidding me!  
Kagome: Jaken?!  
Jaken: release me at once, you deranged excuse for a human!**

**A1969: let's thank Jaken, everybody, for helping me get rid of my Writer's Block. You see, I couldn't write Renesmee's perspective while she was all loco for Sessh's blood and I never like writing Sessh's perspective while he fights so...Jaken! Oh, and your reviews helped get rid of my Writer's Block, too! I read them again, see.**

**Jaken: -still struggling- release me, pathetic human! Otherwise, feel the wrath of milord!**

**A1969: aw, keep it down, won't you? -tries to gag Jaken-**

**Jaken: gah! Lord Sesshou—umph!**

**Kagome: er...review, please!**


	8. Introductions

**A1969: so, to those who reviewed and read the previous chapter—thank you!  
Jaken: release me, you pathetic excuse for a human!  
A1969: aw...I need you here, Jaken, so I can study you! After all, I'm doing your perspective and, besides, -fake smile- I think you're cute!**

**Kagome: what?!**

**Inuyasha: yuck!**

**Jaken: eh...ahem...hmph! It's no surprise that a weak human such as yourself would look to this Jaken for—**

**A1969: I was only joking, you idiot. Yeesh—I think Sesshoumaru gets his pompous attitude from you.**

**Jaken: milord, save me!  
A1969: oh, shut up, he can't he****ar you. Anyway, thank you all so much for the reviews! Enjoy this chapter!**

**Jaken: milord!!!**

**-o-o-Chapter Eight-o-o-**

**-Introductions -**

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Naraku...

I'm sure I've heard of his name before. I've heard it spoken out loud even. But where? I couldn't recall where, at the moment.

This Naraku stood in front of me, his ruby eyes holding my own eyes. The wind rustled softly between us, making the leaves sway gently in the trees, causing shadows to dance across us both. The grass bent softly, looking like ripples as the wind blew over it.

"Well?" Naraku asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you accept my help?"

I looked hesitantly at him. He seemed so sincere, but...was it just me or, beneath the sincerity, could I detect the faintest trace of...deceitfulness? There was something alluring about him, but at the same time repelling...

"What do you want in exchange?" No way was some random, unknown, stranger just going to show up, offer assistance, and get nothing in return. If there were people like that, the world would be a paradise. Unfortunately, the world wasn't a paradise now, was it?

Naraku smiled at me. "Not much," he said, somewhat indolently. "I would only like your help—if that is not too much to ask, that is."

I tilted my head at him. "I'm the one that needs help here," I corrected.

"That may be the case," Naraku admitted. "However, I can use your help. And in exchange, I shall help you find this Kagome person."

What help could he possibly need from someone like me? Did I even look like I could help anyone? Jacob sometimes said I was a sitting duck, but then he would say that if I wasn't, then he wouldn't be able to protect me. Hm...So what made this Naraku person think I could help him?

"What kind of help can I give you?" I asked, feeling somewhat anxious.

"I need your help to look for something," he said, smiling an indolent smile at me. "A diamond, actually—it contains a Sacred Jewel shard, though you might not have heard of it..." He smiled at me. Was it just me, or was that smile...devious?

Wait...a diamond with a Sacred Jewel shard?! I had that! My hand automatically went to the pocket of my jeans. But I couldn't feel the diamond in my pocket...

Oh no...

I could feel my eyes widening in shock and surprise. I let my hand drop to my side. Shoot...where was the diamond? It was in my pocket this morning...

Could I have dropped it when I was running away from that Hakudoshi and Kagura? Oh drats—Kagome was going to kill me for losing it! But where the heck was it? I could try retracing my steps, but...

But what did Naraku want with the Sacred Jewel shard in the first place? The moment I thought of this question, an anxious feeling took hold of me. It was the kind of feeling that told you to run. But running was silly—this man was going to help me find Kagome, wasn't he? So...until I found Kagome, I would worry about the Sacred Jewel shard later.

"Miss?" Naraku's voice brought me back to the present. "Is everything alright?"

I looked up at him, and schooled my expression. "Um, yes," I lied, feeling the butterflies in my stomach. "Everything's fine." I think...

Naraku nodded, and smiled. "Good," he said, satisfied. "Now come along. Darkness is falling, and it's best not to get caught in it—you never know what lurks in the dark." He smiled again, that devious and somewhat secretive smile of his. He then turned on his heel and walked away.

I hesitated, and then followed him.

**-o-Kagome-o-**

The tension in the air was more than thick—it was suffocating.

Inuyasha and I had led the Cullens back to the Shrine. It had not been a pleasant walk. During the short time that it took to come back to the Shrine, Inuyasha's hand had leapt to Tessaiga more than once, causing one or two of the Cullen guys to glare at us. Yeah—tension.

"Kagome?" Mama's voice was the first thing that greeted us as we made it to the top of the Shrine steps. She was sweeping the leaves, the broom clutched in her hand. She looked shocked at the sight of the seven Cullens who were with me.

"Mama," I greeted. She gazed at Inuyasha's arm that was still draped protectively around my shoulders, and then at the Cullens who were standing behind us. There was curiosity in her eyes.

"Hello, Mrs. Higurashi." Edward stepped from behind me, his voice as smooth as velvet. He smiled at Mama, unintentionally dazzling her in the process.

"Er...Hello...Edward, wasn't it?" Mama said. She turned to the rest of the Cullens, probably deciding on being a little friendlier. "Good afternoon to the rest of you. What brings you lot here?" Mama's smile was warm and friendly, as always.

"We're here to look for Renesmee," Bella spoke up, stepping in beside Edward. I could feel Inuyasha's arm tighten around my shoulder.

Mama only nodded to that. "I suppose you're going to look there, aren't you Kagome?" she asked. I could feel the Cullens' curious stares on me.

"Yeah," I answered. "We think Renesmee might be there, so..."

Mama nodded. "Good luck with finding her," she said. "And Kagome, do take care."

I nodded. "I will."

Mama smiled again, and then returned to her sweeping. I didn't bother to look at the Cullens as Inuyasha and I led them past the Sacred Tree and towards the Well Shrine. I stopped just outside the old wooden doors, and turned towards the Cullens, shrugging off Inuyasha's arm in the process. I heard him growl in annoyance, but I ignored him.

"Kagome," Bella said. "What are were doing here? Surely, Renesmee isn't in there?" Her beautiful golden eyes looked doubtful.

Edward took a deep breath. "Her scent leads her, but it's very faint."

I nodded. "Right," I said. "Listen to me, okay? Renesmee is in there, but..." Urgh...How was I going to explain this?

"But?" Jacob decided to speak up. He sounded impatient, angry and worried. There was an anxious look in his eyes, and I thought that he was probably more worried about Renesmee than Edward and Bella were, but that couldn't be the case.

I turned to Well Shrine and slid the door open. "Renesmee isn't in there," Bella pointed out, her eyes narrowing in both worry and anger.

"She is," I said. I knew I had to be calm—the Cullens were all anxious and worried, and who knew what a bunch of anxious vampires would do?

I entered the Shrine and went down the steps, followed by Inuyasha. I stopped in front of the well, and turned to the Cullens, who were all staring at me with narrowed eyes.

"Er...come on," I said.

I saw Emmett throw Edward a look, and Edward nodded curtly in reply. Urgh...was Edward in my head again? One by one, the seven Cullens came into the Shrine and descended the steps. I tried not to stare at the graceful way with which they moved. I only knew one person who could easily outstrip them in grace, and that person—Inuyasha was going to kill me for this—was none other than Sesshoumaru.

For a brief moment, I thought of what Jaken had said. He had hinted that Sesshoumaru had fought with Renesmee, but why?

"WHAT?!" Edward was suddenly in front of me, his voice furious, his eyes narrowed dangerously. His cold breath was on my face, and smelt—I couldn't help but notice—irresistible.

Oh crap. Did he have to stick his head into other people's thoughts all the time?

"Get away from Kagome, you bastard!" Inuyasha snarled, pulling out his Tessaiga.

"Edward!" Bella warned, as the rest of the Cullens tensed, preparing for a fight.

"Inuyasha, sit!" Inuyasha crashed to the ground, Tessaiga falling on top of him.

"Kagome, what the hell?!" Inuyasha roared, pulling himself up, and grabbing Tessaiga again.

"Bella," Edward said, turning to the other Cullens. "It seems that Kagome has been keeping secrets from us, love."

"Duh," Alice said, rolling her eyes.

"Secrets regarding Renesmee," Edward specified.

They were all silent.

"What the hell have you done with my Ness?!" Did Jacob have to act up too? There was fury in his eyes, and ice in his voice.

"Don't talk to Kagome like that, you mangy wolf!" Inuyasha snarled, though he couldn't understand what Jacob said. Jacob growled at Inuyasha, and Inuyasha growled back.

"Jacob," Emmett warned.

"Inuyasha, sit." I ignored Inuyasha's curses as I turned to the Cullens, my hands raised in the air. "Please, listen to me."

"You will tell us what happened to Renesmee," Edward demanded, his velvet voice deadly. "The truth. Bella said that you called, and you said Renesmee was fine, but then..."

"Edward, what is she hiding from us?" Rosalie asked, her voice rising an octave higher. I take it she was worried about Renesmee too. They all were.

"Is Renesmee injured?" Bella asked, her eyes widening in worry and fear.

Edward glared at me. "Kagome failed to tell us that Renesmee had a run in with a demon," he said scathingly.

"What?!" The Cullens all stared at me, their eyes wide with worry and anger.

I took a deep breath. "Yes," I admitted at last. "Please let me explain. Renesmee did have a run in with a demon—a great demon by the name of—"

"Sesshoumaru," Edward spat. I had a feeling that he was going to try and kill Sesshoumaru if ever he encountered him.

"Killing Perfection?" Alice asked, raising her eyebrows. She spoke in English so Bella and Jacob would understand. "That can't be good..."

I nodded. "Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's elder dog demon half-brother," I said slowly, giving Alice the time to translate it to Bella and Jacob. At the peripheral of my vision, I saw Inuyasha pull himself off the ground.

"Why're you talking about Sesshoumaru?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me, Tessaiga still held tightly in his grasp.

I raised a hand at him. "I'll explain later," I said, turning back to the Cullens. "Renesmee had a run in with him. They fought, but I don't know why. Don't worry, though. Sesshoumaru said that she ran off before he could...harm her." I purposely avoided the word 'kill'.

Edward's eyes widened. After Alice finished translating for Bella and Jacob, Bella looked as though she were about to faint. Jacob's reaction, on the other hand, was pure anger. He turned to Inuyasha, his eyes burning with fury.

"You!" he roared. "Your brother was going to kill Ness! I'm going to kill him!"

"I can't understand you, bastard!" Inuyasha snarled, his tone taunting.

Jacob blinked and growled at him; Inuyasha returned his growl in earnest.

"Enough!" Alice's high pitched soprano voice cut through the growls. She spoke in English. "Kagome says that she thinks Renesmee is fine. Instead of arguing, we should all go and look for Renesmee. Now." She turned to me. "Well?"

I nodded hesitantly, and turned towards the well. Here was the hard part—the explaining.

"This is the Bone Eater's well," I said, placing a hand on the aged wood and speaking in Japanese. Alice would translate for Bella and Jacob, anyway. "This well connects two time periods—the present Japan, and Feudal Japan."

"You mean like time travel?" Emmett scoffed. "Impossible."

"She's telling the truth, Emmett," Edward said. I instantly felt grateful for the support.

I nodded. "Inuyasha comes from Feudal Japan, where demons still exist," I went on. "Renesmee is there. We don't know where she is. It seems the last person she met was Sesshoumaru, and, well...she ran away from him...so..."

It was silent. The Cullens stared at me, still and quiet as marble statues, with the exception of Alice who was busy translating for Bella and Jacob.

"Time travel," Bella muttered, her perfectly shaped eyebrows meeting in the center. She shook her head. "Before, I would have said that that was impossible—I don't believe in that word now, though." She looked at us. "Take us to Renesmee, now. Please."

I hesitated. "The thing of it is," I said slowly. "I'm not sure if you can all go through the well."

"Why not?" Edward asked.

"If Ness can, then surely...?" Emmett's voice trailed off.

I took a deep breath. "You see," I said slowly. "Renesmee had the Sacred Jewel shard with her. So she was able to go through. Sometimes, you don't need the shards to go through, but the only people who've gone through without the shards are just Inuyasha and I."

They were all silent for a moment. "If this mutt can go through, then so can we!" Jacob said, after Alice finished translating for him and Bella. He jerked his thumb at Inuyasha, who growled at him.

"Jacob," Edward warned. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"How do we go through?" Bella asked. Urgh...I wished she knew how to speak Japanese—the language barrier was murder.

I sighed, and switched to English. "You just jump in," I explained. "If you don't go through, then..."

Bella nodded then, to my surprise, she made her way beside me, and placed a slender hand on the edge of the well.

"Bella, love, what are you doing?" Edward suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"I'm going to get Renesmee," Bella said, her voice shaky with emotion. It was then that I realized that she must have been worried sick for her daughter.

"We're going together," Edward soothed. He took a step closer to her, and I gladly stepped aside. He placed both his hands on her face, and looked deeply into her eyes. "We're going to find her, love. Don't worry."

Oh wow. They were so...in love.

Bella nodded. "Okay." She closed her eyes as Edward kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Ick," Inuyasha muttered. "Get a damn room."

Edward ignored him as he pulled away from Bella, and turned to me. "You say that there are demons in Feudal Japan?"

I nodded. "Weak and strong demons."

Edward was silent for a moment then he turned his eyes towards Bella. "Love, you should stay here," he said.

"What?" Bella asked, incredulous. "No, Edward—I'll go with you and find Renesmee."

"No," Edward said flatly. "There are demons—I won't put you in danger."

"I'm going with you," Bella said stubbornly.

"No."

"Edward..."

"No, love. I would never risk your safety."

Bella was silent for a moment. "Please?" Her eyes looked pleadingly up at him.

Edward hesitated. "No." Was it just my imagination, or was he having a hard time saying no?

"Please, Edward...Please? I _want_ to go..."

Edward was silent for several moments, and then he let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine," he said slowly, still hesitant. "But you have to let me protect you."

Bella nodded, satisfied. Edward turned to the rest of the Cullens. "The rest of you can stay here."

There was an immediate uproar at his words.

"What? No way!" Alice chirped. "We're as worried about Ness as you are—I'm going."

"I'm not leaving Alice," Jasper spoke up, still looking pained from the effects of my scent. I felt somewhat guilty at that. "Besides, my niece is in danger."

"I'm not gonna let you have all the fun!" Emmett scoffed.

"I'm going with Emmett," Rosalie said.

"If you think that I'd rather stay here, safe, while my Ness is in danger, then you're wrong," Jacob hissed.

Edward was silent. It looked as though he were about to argue, but thought better of it. "Fine," he finally said, somewhat condescendingly. He turned to me. "Well?"

"Right," I said. "Inuyasha, you can go ahead."

"What?!" Inuyasha roared. "I'm not leaving you here with these leeches, Kagome!"

"I'll be fine," I said. I sighed. He was going to be stubborn again.

"No way!"

"Don't make me say..." I didn't like to threaten Inuyasha, but sometimes I had to, though I felt guilty about it.

Inuyasha glared at me. "Fine," he snapped, sheathing his Tessaiga. "I'm going ahead—but if they try anything funny, you're on your own." I inwardly rolled my eyes. He was always saying things like that, but I knew him well enough now to know that he didn't mean it.

Inuyasha shoved past me and, without so much as a backward glance, jumped into the well. There was a flash of light, and then he was gone.

"Unbelievable," Bella muttered, looking down into the well's depths.

"Alright, then," I said. "Edward, if you don't mind, I'd like to go with Bella. If we both go through, then that means that the rest of you can go through, too." I wasn't quite sure about Jacob, though.

"No." Edward's tone was hard. "Bella comes with me."

"Edward," Bella said, sighing. "I'll be fine."

"Bella..." I guess Edward couldn't bear to be away from Bella, no matter how short a time.

"Please, Edward," Alice piped up, rolling her eyes. "Do you think Kagome can harm Bella?" I tried not let that one get to me.

Edward hesitated, and then sighed. He suddenly drew Bella into his arms, and pressed his lips to hers. I decided to give them a little privacy, and perfunctorily turned my gaze away.

After a few moments, I heard Bella's voice speaking to me. "Kagome?"

I turned back to her and nodded. We both perched on the edge of the well. Edward looked desperately at Bella, as though he wanted to snatch her then and there.

"All we have to do is jump in," I reassured Bella, who was looking down into the Well's dark depths with misgivings.

Bella nodded. "If anything happens to Bella," Edward threatened.

Bella threw me an apologetic look, and shook her head. "Excuse him," she said, sighing. "So, let's go."

I nodded at her, and we both jumped into the well. There was a flash of blue light, and the usual sensation of falling endlessly.

"Incredible," Bella muttered, beside me. She glanced sideways at me, at the wall of blue light that surrounded us. "This is...unreal."

I grinned. I was actually pleased at her awed reaction. After a moment of falling, the light around us faded and we landed gently at the bottom of the well, sunlight streaming through the opening. I glanced at Bella, grinning, anticipating her reaction, but my mouth hung open in surprise.

Her skin was sparkling in the sunlight. Like diamonds, her marble flesh threw pinpricks of light against the walls of the well. She was...more than beautiful. In fact...I was rendered speechless.

She glanced at me, blinking. "Oops," she said apologetically. "Sorry...This is what happens when the sunlight hits us. We've been covering ourselves with pancake makeup so as to not attract attention. Guess we forgot—sorry." She looked sheepish. And ethereal.

"You're beautiful," I said.

Bella giggled. "You should see Rosalie in the sunlight," she said. "Now her...she's the one who can render anyone speechless. Anyone."

"Anyway," she went on, looking up at the opening of the well. "Should we go, or should we wait for the others?"

"We should go." Bella nodded and, before I could blink, she grabbed me by the elbow (her grip was tight—it would leave a bruise, I was sure of it) and in one elegant leap, jumped out of the well. Sunlight momentarily blinded my eyes as I felt Bella set me gently down on the ground.

"Kagome!" I blinked as I heard Inuyasha's voice.

Inuyasha stood in front of me, Miroku and Sango at either side of him.

"Kagome, who are they?" Bella asked, her gaze fixed on Miroku and Sango, both of whom were staring speechlessly at her, dazzled.

"They're our friends," I reassured her. I took her by the hand and gently led her forward. Her hand was ice cold.

Miroku and Sango were still staring at her. Even Inuyasha was mesmerized by the scintillating beauty at my side. The light shattering off Bella's skin glistened.

Sango was the first one who snapped out of it. She shook her head, and blinked. "Kagome?" she asked uncertainly.

I switched to Japanese. "This Bella—Renesmee's mother," I introduced.

Sango nodded, and took a step towards us. She held out her hand and Bella shook it. I saw Sango wince at the vampire's icy grip.

"Bella!" We all turned towards the well, just as the other Cullens jumped out of the well, with Edward in the lead.

As soon as he saw her, he made a beeline for Bella, winding an arm around her waist, and drawing her close to him.

Inuyasha and the others turned to the newcomers, speechless once again. I myself was speechless at the way the Cullens all looked. Did they have to be so darn beautiful?

I shook my head. "Everyone," I said to my Feudal friends. Sango shook her head as did Inuyasha, but Miroku was still gaping—especially at Rosalie who looked virtually indescribable. In fact, she was so beautiful...there was no word that could justify the way she looked. Poor Shippou—he was staring at Rosalie with his mouth hanging open.

"These are the Cullens," I introduced. "Rosalie and Emmett"—Emmett grinned and Rosalie raised an eyebrow—"Alice and Jasper"—Alice smiled playfully at them, and Jasper continued to look hungrily at me...okay—"Jacob"—he was the only one who looked, not exactly ugly, but obviously out of place in the middle of the glittering Cullens—"and Edward. You all know Bella already." Edward tilted his head slightly, and I tried not to giggle as I saw Sango shaking her head again.

"They're vampires," I said. "But they don't hunt humans."

Sango nodded; Miroku was still speechless, while Inuyasha only frowned at them.

I turned to the Cullens. "These are my friends," I said, in Japanese. "This is Sango, the demon exterminator"—Sango nodded once, trying not to be dazzled—"Shippou, the fox demon"—poor Shippou; he was still staring at Rosalie's glittering beauty with open mouthed astonishment—"Kirara, Sango's demon cat"—Kirara mewed, impervious to the vampires' beauty—"you all know Inuyasha, and, lastly, this is Miroku, the monk."

The moment I said his name, Miroku shook his head and then, the unthinkable...

He calmly walked past me, and made his way to Rosalie. The Cullens stared at him with apprehension.

"My," Miroku said. Beside me, I could feel Sango's flaming wrath. "What beauty...I'm staggered."

Rosalie smiled at him, pleased at the compliment. And then, Miroku took her hands in his own. He didn't even flinch at their iciness. "Miss Rosalie," Miroku said, as Emmett looked murderous. "Will you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

"MIROKU!" Sango shrieked, before a jealous Emmett could make a move. Sango was suddenly behind Miorku, tugging at his ear, and dragging him away from Rosalie, who looked abashed and...sad?

"That guy is a monk?" Emmett muttered, jealousy in his voice.

"YOU PERVERT!" Sango screeched, as she dragged Miroku into the trees.

"Sango, no!" Miroku pleaded, as they vanished into the shadow of the trees. "I couldn't help myself—such beauty!"

"AS IF DEMON WOMEN WEREN'T ENOUGH!"

"Sango, no! Have mercy!"

And then, silence. Boy, Sango was angrier than normal—maybe it was because Rosalie was virtually indescribable. I was glad Miroku didn't go for Bella. Who knows what Edward would've done?

"You'll have to excuse Miroku," I said apologetically to Rosalie. "He's...somewhat _friendly_ with women."

Suddenly, the clouds shifted in the late afternoon sky, and the sun vanished. I blinked. The Cullens were no longer scintillating. Which was good.

"It's getting dark," Edward muttered, looking up at the approaching twilight. He turned to me. "We must find Renesmee. Now."

I nodded. Just then, Miroku and Sango came back. Miroku was covered with scratches and Sango still looked annoyed. They stopped beside me and Inuyasha, staring at the no longer scintillating vampires with raised eyebrows.

"They only glitter in the sunlight," I hastily explained.

"Good thing it's almost autumn," Sango said scathingly, glaring at Miroku who only grinned at her.

"Anyway," I said, changing the subject. "They're here to look for Renesmee."

"We have to find her now," Jacob said, stepping forward. Inuyasha glared at him.

"We'll find her," I reassured. But the question was: where do we look?

"We could try asking that Sesshoumaru person first," Edward suggested. I hated it when he read my mind.

"No way," Inuyasha muttered darkly. "I'd rather get stomped by Kouga than—"

"Kagome!" A miniature tornado suddenly blew out of the forest and landed on top of Inuyasha. There was a swirl of wind and leaves, and Kouga stood on top of Inuyasha, whose face was pressed to the dirt.

"He got stomped," Shippou muttered, perched on Miroku's shoulder.

"Kouga!" I gasped as he hopped off Inuyasha and took my hands.

"Kagome," Kouga began. "I'm so sorry."

"Kouga, you wimpy wolf, get away from Kagome!" Inuyasha sprung up and lashed at Kouga, who easily dodged him.

"Pipe down, dog-turd," Kouga scoffed, turning his attention to me, and then noticing the Cullens for the first time. Kouga's nose twitched in disgust. "Urgh...who're these people, Kagome?"

I sighed. "These are the Cullens," I explained. I turned to the vampires. "This is Kouga, the wolf demon."

"Wolf demon?" Jacob asked, eyebrows raised in surprise, after Alice had finished translating. "Really, now?" He looked intrigued, as did Bella. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but Kouga beat him to it.

"Whatever," Kouga drawled. "Anyway, Kagome, yesterday, I ran into a friend of yours. But—"

"You ran into Renesmee?!" I gasped.

The effect was instantaneous.

Edward and Jacob were suddenly in front of Kouga. "Where is she?" Edward demanded.

"Back away, pale guy," Kouga snapped, glaring at him.

"Kouga," I said. "My friend that you ran into—that could be Renesmee. Where is she?"

Kouga frowned. "This morning, she just went missing," Kouga said, shrugging. "She was supposed to grab something to eat, but she didn't return."

"So, I take it, she ran into Sesshoumaru after she ran into you," I muttered.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kouga snorted. "Tough luck there."

"Kouga!" Hakkaku and Ginta suddenly burst through the trees, their wolves in tow. "Finally, we've caught up with you!"

"Huh?" Both of them looked at the Cullens with open curiosity.

The Cullens stared at the wolves, Jacob in particular.

"C'mon, you lot," Kouga said, as he rejoined his group. "We're leaving. The stench is unbelievable—worse than dog-turd." Inuyasha glared at him. "See you later, Kagome!" Kouga zoomed out of the clearing, into the trees, a miniature tornado rustling the leaves.

"Kouga!" Hakkaku and Ginta screeched as they ran after him. "Not again!"

"That guy was fast," Emmett said. "Probably even faster than you, Edward." Edward scowled at that.

"Anyway," Edward said, returning to Bella's side. "We should go look for this Sesshoumaru person."

"Look for him yourself," Inuyasha muttered. Though he only understood his brother's name, he pretty much got the message.

"Excuse Inuyasha," I said, sighing. "He...er...doesn't get on well with his brother."

"Half-brother," Inuyasha corrected.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever," Edward muttered.

"Listen," Jacob said, turning to me with worry in his eyes. "Can we please look for this Sesshoumaru person now?"

I nodded. "Right."

"And if he's harmed a hair on Renesmee's head," Edward said darkly, in Japanese. "I'm going to kill him."

"As if you can," Inuyasha scoffed.

**-.-Jaken-.-**

"Master Jaken, where do you think Miss Ness is now?" How many times had Rin asked me that question?

"I don't know!" I snap behind me, glaring at the little human who held Ah-Un's reins. "Why do you keep asking me that question?"

Rin shrugs. "Because she seemed possessed."

I scoff and walk faster. "She attacked Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Because she could have been possessed!" Rin argues. "She seemed very nice at first, Master Jaken!"

"Seemed is a strong word," I mutter, looking back at her. "That girl was obviously an enemy, and an ungrateful—" Before I could finish, I bump into something white...

Oh dear...

"Forgive me, Lord Sesshoumaru!" I cry out, immediately bowing to the ground. "Rin was distracting me, milord!"

But Lord Sesshoumaru paid me no mind. His gaze was fixed ahead. "Inuyasha," he says softly, his gaze fixed on the trees in front of us. Through a gap in the trees, I make out a clearing. Milord suddenly turns to me. "Wait here." Without further ado, Lord Sesshoumaru darts through the gap in the trees, and into the clearing.

I sigh and look up at the sky. Sunset was fast approaching.

"Master Jaken, where do you think Lord Sesshoumaru went?" Rin asks.

"I don't know, Rin."

Why did you leave me with this brat, milord?!

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Sunset was now falling.

Geez...

Naraku and I had been walking for the past hour now, walking in random directions in our search for Kagome. I sighed. He had been silent the entire time, not even bother to look back at me. But that suited me just fine, because, right now, I could think of only one thing...

The blasted Sacred Jewel shard.

Where was it? I could've sworn that I had it with me this morning, when I went to hunt for wild boar. I remembered that my hunt had been interrupted by Kagura and Hakudoshi, and I remembered that they were after the shard...

I suddenly stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening in realization. Hakudoshi's words from earlier suddenly flashed through my mind with alacrity...

"_Naraku said the only way to kill them definitely is to burn them."_

Naraku...

Could this man be the same Naraku? I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening in horror...

Damn, what've I gotten myself into?

Naraku, sending my abrupt halt, turned around to face me. "Is anything wrong, Miss?" he asked pleasantly. His red eyes glinted and he smiled deviously at me.

I blinked, and I could feel my lower lip trembling. I felt as though I had butterflies in my stomach. I took a step backwards.

"You," I said. "You...You're the one they were talking about..."

Naraku only smiled at me. The shadows thrown by the sunset danced across us, and only added to my panic and fear.

"They?" he asked pleasantly. He smiled...and his smile made him look sinister.

"Don't play dumb with me," I hissed, just about ready to bolt for it. "You're the one they were talking about...that boy Hakudoshi...and that woman named Kagura..."

I felt my stomach vanish as Naraku smirked at me. "Indeed."

I didn't even bother to reply. My instinct for self-preservation kicked in. I spun around, and made for the trees, my legs kicking into action.

"Ow!" I was suddenly sent sprawling backwards, knocked back by something hard.

I felt myself fall to the ground. I looked up, growling, at the obstacle that blocked my path. It was...a pinkish...wall? No...a barrier. I spun around, ready to face Naraku. I would have to fight him (if I could). But, to my horror, I was trapped inside his pinkish, see-through barrier.

"Let me go!" I shrieked, pounding my fists against the barrier. It was useless. The barrier was harder than vampire skin.

Naraku only laughed as he took several steps towards me, smiling maliciously through the barrier.

I was trapped.

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"Sesshoumaru's scent is this way!" Inuyasha shouted.

I was riding on Inuyasha's back. Sango and Miroku rode on Kirara, with Shippou riding on Miroku's shoulder. The Cullens were all running behind us, following.

"Good," I heard Edward say. "Don't worry, love, we'll find Renesmee soon."

I was silent. I prayed that when we found Sesshoumaru, it wouldn't turn into a fight. A full blown rumble between six anxious vampires, one worried werewolf, one hot-headed dog demon, and one imperious demon lord was not something I cared to see today.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha roared as we burst through the trees and into a clearing.

To our surprise, Sesshoumaru was standing in the middle of the clearing, waiting for us, it seemed.

"That's his brother?" Bella asked, as we all stopped several yards away from said demon lord. I hopped off Inuyasha's back and nodded.

"That's Sesshoumaru."

The Cullens all looked wearily at him, their stance defensive. "His demonic energy is...unbelievable," Edward muttered, narrowing his eyes. The other Cullens all had similar expressions on their faces, except for Jacob, who looked as though he was ready to pounce.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha growled.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said lazily. His golden gaze swept over the Cullens, his expression aloof and uninterested. "You surprise me with the company you keep, little brother."

"I don't like that tone of voice," Emmett growled, glaring at Sesshoumaru, who turned his gaze to him and raised an eyebrow. The tension in the air was thick and suffocating. I prayed this wouldn't break out into a fight.

"Sesshoumaru," I said, falling into step beside Inuyasha. It was best if I took matters into my own hands. He turned his eyes towards me, looking bored, as always. "We're only here to ask you something."

"And why must I answer to the lowly likes of you?" Sesshoumaru said impassively.

"What an attitude," Alice muttered.

I bit my lower lip. "Listen," I said. "These...people—"

"Vampires," Sesshoumaru said dismissively.

What?! How did he know that? Maybe he'd heard of them before?

"Right," I agreed. "That girl you said you...met. Her name was Renesmee Cullen; she was a relative of theirs. I was wondering...do you know where she could have possibly gone?"

"Did I not tell you once, miko, that she ran off before I could kill her?" he said dispassionately.

Edward and Jacob were suddenly beside me, growling angrily. "You...wanted...to...kill her?" Edward snarled, his eyes narrowing, baring his fangs.

"Yes."

The other vampires growled in the same tone. No! Please don't let them fight!

"You...bastard," Edward growled.

"Edward." To my surprise, it was Inuyasha who spoke up. "Don't. He ain't worth it."

Yeah, Edward, please don't...

But Edward ignored him. He was an enraged father at the moment. "You bastard," he hissed, his eyes fixed on Sesshoumaru, his tone cold and deadly. "I'm going to kill you!"

"As if someone of your mediocre calibre could lay a finger on I, Sesshoumaru." He slowly took out his Bakusaiga.

No, no, no, no!

"What an arrogant bastard!" Emmett growled angrily.

Inuyasha drew out his Tessaiga, but before he could make a move, Edward and a russet-colored wolf, which I realized was Jacob, shot past him with blinding speed, headed straight for Sesshoumaru.

"Edward no!" Bella screamed.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: you know what I'm going to say...**

**Inuyasha: yeah, the same as always—review.**

**A1969: yup. And thanks to those who read and reviewed the previous chapter!**

**Kagome: she appreciates it.**

**Jaken: let me go, you pathetic mortal!**

**A1969: please, shut up!  
Jaken: when milord finds me, you shall pay with your life!**

**A1969: as if. Anyway, review please!**


	9. Fight and Bite

**A1969: haha! I'm updating!**

**Inuyasha: crazy girl.**

**A1969: Alice's far crazier than I am—in a good way, at least.**

**Alice: what? **

**Kagome: you see the future.**

**Alice: that isn't crazy!  
Bella: her idea of crazy is not buying a new pair of designer shoes every day.**

**Alice: now **_**that **_**is crazy.**

**Inuyasha: great—more...lunatics.**

**A1969: you never really were a people person. Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter!**

**-o-o-Chapter Nine-o-o-  
Fight and Bite**

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"Edward, no!"

We all watched, frozen and shocked, as Edward and the russet-colored wolf darted towards the impassive Sesshoumaru, who stared at them with that trademark bored expression of his.

As they ran, I saw Edward throw a brief glance at Jacob—reading his thoughts, strategizing, I realized. As if that would work!

Jacob and Edward suddenly shifted. Edward veered to Sesshoumaru's left, while Jacob to the demon's right. They were planning to meet him head on from opposite directions. No! Before I could shout, however, Sesshoumaru suddenly jumped gracefully into the air. There was a loud bang, and a sickening crunch as Edward and Jacob collided with each other. Jacob was thrown back against the trunk of a tree, making it shudder as the wolf hit the trunk and sank to the ground. Edward merely stumbled back.

"Jacob!" Bella screeched, her bell voice high.

Sesshoumaru landed neatly on the ground, in front of Edward, his expression colder than vampire skin. He pointed Bakusaiga at Edward.

"Inuyasha, stop them!" I shouted. "Sesshoumaru will slaughter Edward!"

"No!" Bella screamed. And before anyone could stop her, the unassuming and self-effacing Bella darted past us in a white blur, and towards Sesshoumaru.

"Bella!" Alice and Edward shouted.

Sesshoumaru suddenly darted towards the blur that was Bella. It was then that I realized how _fast _he was. If Bella was nothing more than a blur, Sesshoumaru was completely invisible. Faster than the eye could blink, Sesshoumaru's clawed hand, the one that was Bakusaiga-free, was around Bella's throat, lifting her off the ground. A chokehold.

"BELLA!" Edward screamed, fury in his glorious golden eyes. He suddenly charged towards Sesshoumaru, who slashed at him with Bakusaiga, sending him flying into the trees, knocking several to the ground with a loud crash.

"Edward!" Bella and the Cullens gasped.

Bella flailed violently against Sesshoumaru's grasp, trying to free herself. I take it a mere choking couldn't kill her, but...

Sesshoumaru's claws suddenly glowed green.

"No!" Edward was up in a fraction of a second, rushing towards Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru suddenly threw Bella at him. There was a loud crash like thunder as the two vampires collided. They weren't sent sprawling into the trees, instead they both fell on the ground.

"Bella, love, are you alright?" Edward asked, placing both his hands on her face.

"I...I'm fine," she gasped. Edward suddenly growled, his eyes fixed on her throat. From my position, I couldn't see it, but I'm sure there would be burn marks from Sesshoumaru's poison around her throat.

Edward got to his feet, and glared at Sesshoumaru. His expression—anger unrivalled—was glorious. A young furious god.

"You'll die," Edward hissed, crouching low.

"Inuyasha, stop them!" I shrieked.

Inuyasha suddenly blinked, as though he had been enthralled in the brief tussle. "You guys, get Edward and Bella away from him!" Inuyasha ordered, looking at the Cullens from over his shoulder. "I'll handle Sesshoumaru!"

In the blink of an eye, they were off. Inuyasha rushed at his elder brother. There was a clang of metal on metal as Tessaiga and Bakusaiga clashed, sending sparks into the air. Meanwhile, Emmett and Jasper grabbed Edward by the arms, and dragged him back from the fight. Edward fought against their hold, intent on getting his revenge against Sesshoumaru. Rosalie grabbed Bella and leapt with her, coming back toward us. Alice, meanwhile, rushed to where Jacob was.

Jacob...

Alice carried the werewolf to where we were (it seemed so strange to see little Alice carrying something bigger than her). She gently laid him on the ground, and we all convened around the wolf.

"Oh, Jacob," Bella said, kneeling beside him.

Jacob was...a mess. There was no simpler way to say it. His breathing was shallow, and his fur was matted with pieces of bark sticking out, and his eyes were closed.

"I'll kill him!" Edward was still struggling against Jasper and Emmett.

"Calm down!" As soon as Jasper said the words, a heavy veil of lethargy seemed to fall on Edward. He shook his head angrily, trying to fight off Jasper's strange ability.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Emmett's hand suddenly fell on Edward's head with a loud bang. Bella gasped, her concern shifting from Jacob to Edward. Sango's eyes widened at the sound, and Shippou jumped on to my shoulder, startled by the bang.

"Listen, Edward," Emmett snapped, still holding on to Edward's left arm. "That guy's dangerous—you can't take him!"

"And _you_ can?" Edward snarled scathingly, his struggles getting less and less intense. It seemed Jasper's gift was finally working.

Emmett only chuckled. Very inappropriate, given the situation. It seemed that Edward was going to be fine. I turned to Jacob, ready to help him.

"I think he's...broken a lot of bones," Alice said. She was kneeling beside Bella, her cold hands prodding Jacob gently here and there. The unconscious wolf let out a soft whine. "These probably will take two or three hours to heal—"

Two or three hours?! Incredible.

"—but we have to make sure they set right," Alice said.

"I'll handle Jacob," Edward said, finally calming down. Emmett and Jasper let go of him and he knelt beside me, my arm brushing against his. His cold skin permeated through my sleeves, and I very nearly shuddered.

"Emmett, Jasper, you help Inuyasha," Edward ordered.

"Inuyasha doesn't need help," Miroku said. He was watching the fight between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru with intense eyes.

I turned my attention from Jacob, and to Inuyasha. I got up and stood beside Miroku and Sango, Shippou in my arms.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha shouted, sending a blast of vibrant energy towards Sesshoumaru.

"Is that his true power?" Emmett was standing next to me. I guess he was more interested in seeing a fight than seeing a healing. Behind me, I heard Edward muttering to Alice and Bella in rapid English as they bent over Jacob. Jasper was with them, keeping Jacob calm with his strange gift.

"No," Miroku said, shaking his head. "Wind Scar is, according to Totosai, simply Tessaiga's basic attack."

"If that's the basic, I want to see the advanced," Emmett muttered as Sesshoumaru successfully dodged the Wind Scar.

"I'd rather you didn't," Rosalie muttered, suddenly appearing beside Emmett.

"Dammit, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha snarled as Sesshoumaru landed in front of him. "Why don't you just run off already?!"

"You think I will run from a mere half-breed?" Sesshoumaru hissed as he rushed at Inuyasha. Their swords clashed and locked, each trying to push the other back. Inuyasha braced his feet against the ground, digging his heels into the earth. It was useless. Little by little, Sesshoumaru slowly pushed him back.

"Inuyasha!" I shouted.

"He's being pushed back!" Emmett said.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha pulled Tessaiga away from Bakusaiga and jumped yards into the air, his glittering sword pointed at Sesshoumaru.

"The sword's covered in diamonds!" Rosalie exclaimed, awed. I had a sneaking suspicion that she was more awed by the diamonds than by the power of Tessaiga. After all, diamonds were a girl's best friend, and Rosalie looked—and acted—like the kind of girl interested in feminine frippery.

"Adamant Barrage!" Inuyasha shouted, sending innumerable spears of adamant at Sesshoumaru.

"Useless!" Sesshoumaru hissed. "Meidou Zangetsuha!"

A large, black, circular meidou appeared where Sesshoumaru cut the air. We watched, in—admittedly—awe as the spears of Adamant vanished into the meidou, which slowly started to fade away.

"What was that?" Emmett asked, staggered.

"Meidou Zangetsuha," I explained. "It's Sesshoumaru's specialty. That black hole you saw was called a meidou, and if you get sucked in, you get sucked into hell."

"That's where we're going anyway," I distinctly heard Edward mutter behind me, as he and the others tended to Jacob. Huh? What did he mean?

"Into hell..." Emmett said, his voice trailing off. He was silent, and then, "I'd like to get a shot at that Sesshoumaru!"

"Are you suicidal?" Rosalie snapped.

I ignored them and turned back to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha blasted a Wind Scar at his brother, who only dodged it easily.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru sneered. "Do you require the aid of your leeches?"

"Jerk!" Alice shouted from behind me.

"I'd _really_ like to get a crack at him," Emmett muttered.

"Ha!" Inuyasha snarled. "In your dreams!"

Tessaiga suddenly shed its diamond skin, and became coated with dragon scales. "What's that now?" Emmett asked.

"Dragon Scaled Tessaiga." This time, it was Sango who explained.

We watched as Sesshoumaru looked warily at the Tessaiga, and then the demon lord leapt gracefully back, away from Inuyasha.

"Ha!" Emmett crowed. "He backed off from it, why?"

"Dragon Scaled Tessaiga cuts a youkai's youketsu," I said. "The source of their demonic energy—if that were cut, the demon would die."

"Sesshoumaru's afraid of it, then!" Emmett boomed. Sesshoumaru suddenly turned his gaze to Emmett, who glowered.

"Hardly," Sesshoumaru hissed, his eyes back on Inuyasha.

"He's pissed off!" Emmett crowed.

"Will you stop?" Sango snapped. "Do you want him to come after us, instead?"

"Hell, yeah!"

We stared at him.

"Meidou Zangetsuha!" Sesshoumaru sent his meidou towards Inuyasha who had to feint to the left to avoid it. The meidou rammed into the trees, sucking them up. Sesshoumaru was keeping his distance from Inuyasha, but I had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't for fear of the dragon scaled Tessaiga.

A second later, the reason became all too clear. "Fukusu Meidou Zangetsuha!" He made a quick motion in the air with his sword, as though he drew an arc in the air above his head.

Our eyes widened.

Several meidou—all large, black, and deadly—materialized from the path he had created with his sword. Several meidou...!

"Aw, hell!" Inuyasha screamed as the multitude of meidou veered towards him. He darted in between them, dodging.

"Inuyasha, watch out!" I screamed as one meidou came too near him.

Inuyasha cursed as he finally jumped high into the air. The meidou rushed past beneath him, all ramming into the trees, and sucking them up into hell.

"How did he unleash all those meidou in one go?" Miroku asked, dumbfounded.

We were all silent. It seemed that Sesshoumaru had been training.

And then, I felt it, a strong powerful pull, coming from sky above...

"Inuyasha!" I exclaimed. "I sense the Sacred Jewel! Naraku's here!"

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

"Let me go!" I screamed as my hands pounded against the barrier. It was useless—the stupid thing was tough, tougher than vampire skin.

I could see Naraku from outside his barrier. That...bastard! He was smirking at me, his red eyes glinting with pure malice.

"It's futile to keep struggling," he said, smiling sadistically.

As if I didn't know that. I pounded against the barrier, anyway. "Let me go, you two-faced jerk!" I screeched, my voice rising several octaves higher. Stupid, stupid barrier!

"Now, why would I do that?" Naraku asked pleasantly. "After all, I've been searching for the last shard for a very long time, Renesmee, and now, it's going to be mine."

The shard...

Crap. I didn't have it. In fact, where on earth was it? I had it this morning, before I encountered..._him_, my singer. No, not my singer—the term would never fit someone whose sent was so...alluring, so desirable, so...

My throat burned.

Definitely not a singer—more like a black hole. A super-massive black hole. I shook my head. Now was not the time to be sidetracked.

I glared at Naraku, my eyes narrowed. "I'd never give it to you!" I hissed defiantly.

"Of course you won't," Naraku said, still pleasant. "You don't have it."

My eyes widened. How the hell did he know that?

"So, you've got no reason to keep me!" I snarled. "Now, let me go!"

Naraku chuckled. "On the contraire, I have every reason to keep you," he said, his red eyes amused. Overhead, the sky was slowly turning blood red as the sun retired for the night. Long shadows fell across the ground, only enhancing the menacing atmosphere around Naraku. The leaves swayed eerily with the breeze.

"What do you want?" I snarled. He'd better not be thinking in _that _direction.

"Where is the shard?" he demanded concisely.

"Ha!" I snapped. "I don't know!"

He only smiled at me. "You will tell me where the shard is," he threatened, not believing me. "Otherwise, I'll kill you."

It's amazing how many times my life has been threatened since I came here. And yet, of all the threats—from the demon that attacked me yesterday (was it only yesterday?), to nearly being burned by Kagura and Hakudoshi, and to very nearly being killed by my super-massive black hole, Sess...something (my throat ached)—Naraku seemed to be the most menacing, the most deadly...

Something told me to think of where the shard was, and fast.

"I'm waiting," Naraku said, still smiling. Somehow, that smile was more menacing than a frown.

Think, think, think!

Recap—this morning, I went hunting, got chased by Kagura and Hakudoshi, ran into my super-massive black hole, nearly got killed by him...

Wait a minute...

Was it possible that the jewel must have fallen when he attacked me? Most likely, but I wasn't about to tell Naraku that. Kagome consigned the jewel to me to protect it, and I wasn't about to let her down.

"Eureka!" I said, somewhat overenthusiastically.

"No spell of yours will work on me," Naraku said sharply, narrowing his eyes.

"It's not a spell, bastard," I snapped. "I know where the jewel is!"

"And?"

"And, it's with..." If only Kagome told me a little more about Naraku—I would've been able to make an easy fib. "It's with...er...the person you most fear!" Lame.

"I, Naraku, fear nothing." He smirked. "Now, why don't you tell me where the shard is, before I lose my patience?" He was smiling, but his voice was menacing.

I gave up. "I told you, I don't know!" I snapped. His eyes hardened, and then he took a step towards the barrier. He phased through it, and I took a step back, dread building up within me. He smirked as he came near, and I took another step backwards and felt the wall of the barrier against my back.

Drats.

"Get away from me," I snapped.

He suddenly reached out a hand towards me, his index finger extended. "Don't touch me!" I snapped, cringing away from him.

He only smirked as his finger touched my forehead. The moment his finger brushed against my skin, a profusion of images filled my mind—me spending time with Jacob, joking around with Emmett, shopping with Alice, playing piano with Edward, playing chess with Bella, pulling pranks on Jasper, talking with Carlisle, baking muffins (which I loved, but tried not to eat too often) with Esme and Rosalie...

More images followed. Aro showing up on my birthday, me receiving his gift...

All this time, Naraku had been a vague presence at the back of mind as he sifted through my thoughts, now I could sense his excitement. But more images followed with even faster pace than before, and I seemed incapable of stopping him. Urgh...I was getting a headache.

Me and Jacob at Mt. Mito, hunting, Inuyasha showing up with Kagome (I felt Naraku's resentment then), Kagome entrusting the shard to me, me falling into the well, me being cornered by that demon and being saved by Kouga, being chased by Hakudoshi and Kagura, and, finally, encountering my super-massive black hole...

At the memory of his scent, the thirst raged in my throat, and I felt my hands ball into fists...

And then, it was over.

I felt Naraku's mind leave mine, and I gasped as he took a step back, lowering his hand as he did so. "So," he said pleasantly. "There are more of you—isn't that interesting."

I felt myself go cold. He was not going to harm my family, particularly my Jacob!

"And," he went on, smiling more mischievously. "You seem to have an obvious attraction to Lord Sesshoumaru."

I glared at him, and at the same time, fought the overwhelming thirst. "And as to the shard..." Naraku's smile widened. "Thank you for telling me where it is."

"You bastard!" I snarled. "I'm going to..."

"Kill me?" Naraku mocked.

Suddenly, the barrier slowly rose off the ground, and into the air. "Where are you taking me?!" I snarled. I wanted to hit him badly, but I had a sinking feeling that I would only end up hurting myself.

He only smirked as dark miasma surrounded the barrier, and then I felt it shoot out at an unbelievable speed. Where was he taking me? Was he finally going to kill me? The thought sent chills down my spine, and I could think of only one thing...

Jacob...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

But I was wrong.

I felt the barrier suddenly stop. The dark miasma that surrounded the barrier suddenly dissipated, and my eyes widened in shock. We were hovering above a clearing. The ground was gorged with deep holes, as though several trees had been uprooted.

But it wasn't the battle-ravaged clearing that caught my attention. It was the people there.

"Edward, Bella!" I screamed, looking down from the barrier. Everyone was there! Inuyasha, Kagome, two more people I didn't know, my family...and _him_. My super-massive black hole...But the barrier blocked out their scent, and I felt relieved at that.

"Renesmee?!" Everyone, except the two people I didn't know and Sesshoumaru, exclaimed, looking up at us.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Ness!" Bella said, standing up.

Naraku suddenly chuckled. "I believe this girl belongs to you," he said, looking at my vampire family who all stood beside Kagome and her companions. Sesshoumaru was standing at the far end of the clearing, pretty much indifferent.

"Let her go!" Edward snarled, standing up and glaring.

I suddenly realized that he had stood up from beside a russet-colored wolf that lay on the ground, injured...

"Jacob!" I screamed, panic and pain gripping me. "Oh, Jacob!"

But he didn't even raise his head. Jacob was wholly unconscious.

"Let her go, Naraku!" Inuyasha roared, pointing his sword...Tessaiga at the barrier.

"Or you'll do what, Inuyasha?" Naraku taunted. "Use Adamant Barrage to destroy my barrier? Go ahead."

Inuyasha glared and cursed. I felt guilty then. He couldn't do his Adamant whatever while I was in the barrier with Naraku.

A streak suddenly shot towards the barrier and felt back to the ground. Edward!

Naraku looked down at Edward with amusement. "Don't tell me you hoped your skin would be able to break down my barrier?" he aked, amused.

My family all looked up at him, rage written clearly in their eyes. I shuddered. I'd never seen them look so angry, so menacing in all my life.

"Meidou Zangetsuha!" This voice—it was Sesshoumaru's. He slashed at the air with his sword, and from the path he had slashed, a large black hole materialized in the air, headed straight towards me and Naraku.

Naraku made a sound of annoyance as he raised the barrier higher to avoid it. The black hole thing suddenly faded to nothing as it streaked beneath us.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Both Inuyasha and Edward roared at him, in unison.

"You'll blast Renesmee into hell too, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome shouted. Blast...into...hell...? That black hole thing was...some portal to..._hell_? He was that powerful? I shuddered, suddenly wondering how I'd managed to escape from him earlier.

"And?" Sesshoumaru said coldly. Of all the nerve! You're lucky the barrier's blocking your scent, buddy! I was one angry half-vampire then. _How dare he?_

"You bastard!" Edward snarled, crouching low.

"Edward, no!" Inuyasha said. "Get him later!"

"Edward," Bella said.

Edward eased out of his crouch and turned his attention (with difficulty) back to Naraku and me. "Let her go," Edward hissed. His voice was so menacing, so deadly, that it made me shudder.

Naraku only chuckled. "A worked up vampire," he said. "You want this girl, don't you? Why don't we have a little exchange?"

Edward and everyone else glared. "Kagome, you know what I want," Naraku said, his eyes going to Kagome.

Everyone looked at Kagome. "What does he want?" Edward demanded, rounding on Kagome.

"Don't you go near Kagome!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome half-shouted. He glared at her, and she ignored him, her attention fixed on Edward. "He wants..." She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a round diamond...

The shard! Wait...why was it with her?

"Then give it to him!" Bella ordered, her eyes fixed frantically on me. Mom...

"No way in hell!" Inuyasha roared, glaring at Bella.

"Give it to him, now!" Edward demanded, taking a step towards Kagome.

"Stay away from Kagome!" Inuyasha roared.

Naraku's patience must have been infinite, for he watched their argument with what I suspected was amusement. But I looked somewhere else, at the wolf lying on the ground, being tended by Jasper and Alice.

Oh, Jacob...

Seeing him hurt—it made my heart contract painfully. I wanted to break out of this blasted barrier, and go to him! I had to be with my Jacob!

"Dammit, I said stay away from Kagome!" My eyes flashed to them. They were still arguing.

"How does it feel," Naraku said, surprising me. His voice was low, so only I heard him. "Knowing that Inuyasha would rather see you dead than hand over the shard?"

I hadn't really given it much thought—there were more important things to think about. But as Naraku brought it up, I felt...slightly betrayed. After all, I was nothing to Inuyasha and the others. It was only natural that they would let me die than give Naraku something valuable.

I looked away, not wanting to show Naraku the look in my eyes. My gaze inadvertently fell on the far side of the clearing, on _him_. Sesshoumaru was looking up at Naraku, his eyes narrowed and sword clutched tightly in his grasp. His eyes suddenly slid to mine, and I froze. Those eyes were so...cold. Totally devoid of emotion. Cold, golden eyes...

But the moment his gaze met mine, my thirst began raging. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, glad that the barrier didn't allow anyone's scent through. When I opened my eyes again, Sesshoumaru was still staring at me, and then, a moment later, he pulled his gaze away to Inuyasha and the others, who were still caught up in their argument.

"Enough!" one of Inuyasha's unknown companions, a man who looked like a monk, said, his tone full of authority. He turned to Edward. "Do you actually think that Naraku will let your daughter live if we give him this shard?"

"Then what do you propose we do?" Edward seethed.

"Fight," the monk said simply as he looked at Naraku.

"Oh?" Naraku said. "You want to sacrifice this girl?" His tentacles suddenly reached out and wound around my waist, drawing me closer to him.

"Let me go!" I screamed, flailing against him.

"Renesmee!" several voices shouted.

As I thrashed against Naraku, my fist hit his tentacle. Fortunately for me, vampire skin was tougher, and the tentacle was severed, and I fell to the floor of the barrier, the tentacle falling beside me. Unfortunately for me, the severed tentacle emitted a dark miasma which began to fill the barrier. Crap!

"Renesmee!"

"You will die here," Naraku said, as the miasma surrounded us. I couldn't breathe—the miasma was suffocating. And it was painful against the skin. If my skin wasn't as hard as a vampire's, it might have dissolved. I gasped in pain as I looked up at Naraku, but night had fallen and it was much too dark to see...

And then, everything was black.

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"No!" Edward, and the rest of the Cullens screamed as dark miasma engulfed Naraku and Renesmee.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha shouted, pointing his Tessaiga at the barrier. By now, the miasma had completely filled it, and we couldn't see what went on inside anymore.

I quickly notched an arrow to my bow and shot it at the barrier. The arrow sped towards the barrier, and hit it with a flash of light. Nothing.

"Kagome, your holy arrows are useless," a voice said. It came from the barrier, and it was very obviously Naraku's. "So...will you exchange the jewel for this girl's life, or should I kill her now and ease her suffering?"

Suffering?

"Naraku!" Miroku and Sango shouted, fury in their eyes.

"Let her go, dammit!" Inuyasha shouted. He leapt into the air, in front of the barrier, and at the same time, Tessaiga glowed red.

"The barrier breaking red Tessaiga!" I shouted.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha roared, blasting at the barrier. It was useless. Inuyasha cursed loudly as he landed on the ground, a few feet away from Sesshoumaru, who was looking up at the barrier with narrowed eyes. Probably thinking about launching another meidou.

"It's useless, Inuyasha," Naraku's voice said. "Hurry and choose—this girl's life, or the shard? You better decide quickly—this girl doesn't have long."

"No!" Several streaks shot towards the barrier. Edward, Bella, Alice and Emmett. There was a loud bang, and the vampires fell back to the ground, deflected by the barrier. Edward cursed loudly, and then turned to me with enraged eyes.

I knew what I had to do. Holding the jewel tightly in my grasp, I walked toward the barrier, and stood underneath it. I looked up at the obscure barrier.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha began.

"Sit."

I ignored Inuyasha's loud curses as I looked up at the barrier. "Naraku!" I called out. "I'll give you the shard—but I want to see Renesmee first!"

Immediately, the miasma inside the barrier dissipated. Renesmee was unconscious in Naraku's arms, but I could see that her breathing was strained. She was alive, at least.

"Let her go!" Bella shouted.

Naraku's tentacle suddenly phased through the barrier, and towards me. I hesitated, and held out the shard, the diamond twinkling innocently in the bright moonlight.

"The shard?" Naraku said pleasantly. I looked up at him. I knew that it would be dangerous to refuse, knew that Naraku would kill her the moment he had the shard. But what else could I—

"Naraku!" This voice—Kikyou!

An arrow darted through the air, and hit the barrier with a blinding flash of light. We watched, awed, as the barrier dissipated, and Naraku fell to the ground on his feet, his furious gaze fixed on the far side of the clearing opposite Sesshoumaru where a woman stood with a bow raised, an arrow notched and pointed at Naraku.

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Now who's that?" Emmett grumbled.

"Wait a minute," Jasper murmured, his eyes fixed on Kikyou. "She's...dead."

Kikyou's hair blew to one side as the wind rustled through the clearing. Silence fell on us the moment Kikyou made her appearance. She was looking at Naraku with narrowed eyes, her eyes fixed on the girl in Naraku's arms.

"Let the girl go," she said calmly, the arrow pointed at Naraku's head.

"Heh, Kikyou," Naraku said. "I should have known you'd show up."

"Release her."

Naraku only narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, his tentacles wrapped around him and Renesmee. He was going to crush her!

"Renesmee!" Edward shouted.

"Tch!" Kikyou made an annoyed sound as she released her arrow at the mass of tentacles. There was another flash of light, and dust rose in the air, obscuring our vision.

But something flew out of the dust, something that soared through the air and landed, with a dull thud, at Sesshoumaru's feet. Naraku had let Renesmee go. As soon as the dust settled, we could make out Naraku. Slivers of his flesh hovered in the air, surrounding his head.

"Now, you have no shield to hide behind," Sesshoumaru said, leaping over Renesmee and simultaneously swinging his sword at Naraku. "Meidou Zangetsuha!"

"Curse you!" Naraku shouted as the meidou rushed towards him. The meidou hit him head on, and then...

"He's being sucked in!" Shippou crowed. Before the meidou could reach him, however, a streak of orange shot through the clearing, towards Naraku. A streak of orange that stopped in mid air, high above us...

"Hakudoshi!" Inuyasha roared.

"What now?" Emmett muttered.

Hakudoshi looked down at us from above, surrounded by his barrier. He held Naraku's head in his hand, a smirk on his face.

"Not today, Inuyasha," Hakudoshi sneered. Before Inuyasha could even curse, Hakudoshi darted to the skies, and out of sight.

Inuyasha let out a string of loud profanities then.

"He's gone," Miroku muttered.

"It can't be helped," Sango said, sighing.

"Renesmee," Bella said. I turned my attention to Edward and Bella, both of whom rushed towards Renesmee who lay at the ground, just behind Sesshoumaru. Both of them suddenly stopped in front of the demon lord. Edward had a look of pure rage on his face, while Bella just looked pleading.

"Step aside," Edward demanded. Not really a good thing to say.

Renesmee suddenly groaned. Her eyes fluttered opened, and I gasped. Her eyes were wild as she stood up, her eyes fixed on Sesshoumaru's back. Sesshoumaru suddenly turned to her, his own eyes narrowed menacingly.

Renesmee narrowed her eyes, baring her teeth at him. That expression—I've seen it before.

"No way," Jasper and Emmett said in unison. "Of all the people to find appealing..."

APPEALING?! Renesmee found _Sesshoumaru_'s blood appealing?!

"What does he mean?" Sango said. "And why is that girl...?"

Before she could finish her question, Renesmee suddenly crouched low in front of Sesshoumaru. "No!" Edward shouted.

Sesshoumaru pointed his sword at her, but Edward grabbed his hand, making Sesshoumaru pause for a fraction of a second as he pushed Edward away with such force that he was sent stumbling backward. In that tiny instant, Renesmee lunged towards Sesshoumaru, who didn't even stumble as she rammed into him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and drawing him close to her, her eyes wild with thirst.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and I shouted as Renesmee plunged her fangs into his throat.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: there you have it.**

**Alice: you gotta be kidding.**

**Kagome: she never does.**

**Inuyasha: keh! When're you guys going away?**

**Alice: aw, Bella and I are staying, Inuyasha! Oohh! Let me touch your dog ears, please!  
Inuyasha: argh! Go away!**

**A1969: er...don't forget to review, please!**


	10. Side Effects

**A1969: oh shoot—it's been eons literally, hasn't it?**

**Alice: you're lucky Bella and I are immortal!**

**Inuyasha: and me!**

**Kagome: wait...I'm not immortal!**

**A1969: no, you aren't! Argh! Ghost!**

**Kagome: quit it!**

**A1969: anyway, guys I'm really sorry if I've been so sloppy lately, I'm just so busy.**

**Alice: aw, it's alright—Bella and I know how demanding college can be!**

**Bella: I've never gone to a college...**

**Alice: I have! Several of them!**

**A1969: scary! Anyway, guys, forgive me! I really am sorry! You've no idea how guilty I've been feeling! And thank you all so much for the reviews! **

**-o-o-Chapter Ten-o-o-  
-Side Effects-**

**-x-Renesmee-x**

I didn't know who I was.

The moment the wind blew his scent towards me, I lost awareness of who I was. I forgot that I was Renesmee, I forgot that taking the blood of sentient beings was not something I was willing to condone, I forgot about caring about what Edward, Bella or Jacob of would think of the moment they saw me doing something so repulsive...

I could only think about _him_.

Him and his appallingly captivating scent...

And the wild thirst that nearly drove me to madness.

I couldn't think coherently the moment I lunged on to him. As I plunged my fangs into his throat, a small part of my mind questioned my sanity—I wasn't supposed to be doing something so barbaric...

But I didn't care.

I could only care about the blood flowing through his veins, the blood that flowed down my throat, taming the fiery thirst I felt...

At that moment, several things happened simultaneously.

I suddenly felt an excruciating pain in my back, and then in my stomach—something hot and...acidic had gone through me. The pain was intense—it was worse than my throat aching because of the scent of a million singers. At the same time, I felt myself being pushed back from Sesshoumaru, felt myself flying across the clearing and crashing into a tree. I heard the wood groan as I slid softly to the ground.

But that wasn't all.

I suddenly heard Inuyasha and the others screaming—but I couldn't make out what they were screaming. Everything was blocked by the unendurable pain in my stomach...

I gasped as pain coursed through me. It was all I could think about...even the thirst I felt was forgotten. As I slumped to the ground, I looked down at my stomach...and wished I hadn't. There was...a hole through my stomach, and blood was pouring through it. Dark, red blood...

_My _blood...

"Renesmee!"

Ja...cob?

But I couldn't be sure...

The pain consumed me, and everything went black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Dammit!"

The voice was low, rough, longed-for and very familiar—it was a voice I would know, even in death...

Jacob.

It was Jake's voice. He was here. I wanted to call out to him, tell him that I was fine, but I couldn't...I felt so, so exhausted. I felt myself hovering along the fine line that separated consciousness from darkness. I couldn't feel anything, not even the excruciating pain I'd felt earlier...

But I could hear voices, but the voices sounded so, so far away, as though someone was whispering through water.

"Sh!" a familiar voice said. "She's going to be fine."

"How can you be sure?!" Jacob roared. "That bastard _punched a hole through her gut!_ How the hell can she be fine?!"

"He did the same thing to me," another familiar rough voice said, a voice I could only dimly remember. "And I'm alive."

"You're a half-demon!" someone, probably Alice, hissed.

What was going on...? I couldn't remember much, save for the vivid memory of unbearable pain...

"Inuyasha is right," a cultured, and calm voice reassured. "You should be thankful Sesshoumaru only did that to her—he could have easily taken off her head."

"What?!" this time...Edward? "I _will _kill him."

As I listened on, I could feel myself slowly returning to consciousness...but I could also feel the return of the pain...

"Renesmee?" Jacob...he was calling out to me.

I struggled to open my eyes, but I was still so exhausted. "Ness?" Jake...

"Is she waking up?" Bella?

"Ness?" Alice...Rosalie...Emmett...

My eyes flew open.

The moment I opened my eyes, the pain hit me.

I suddenly heard a small, high-pitched keening—and realized it was me. The pain was intense! I gasped, my hands flying to my stomach.

"Ness!" several voices said.

"Edward, where are you going?!" Bella said as I heard a swish of wind that told of Edward's departure.

I didn't care if he left—I could only think of the pain.

"Make it go away!" I screamed, my eyes looking around me. Everyone was clustered around me—Inuyasha and his friends, my family...I looked up, away from them. I should've been surprised to find myself looking up at a wooden ceiling, but I wasn't—all I could perceive was agonizing pain...

"Jacob!" I screeched, my eyes finding his. "It hurts!"

Jacob looked tortured. He turned to Kagome. "Can't you do something?" he roared.

Inuyasha glared, but didn't say anything. "I can't!" Kagome said, her eyes wide. "When Sesshoumaru did this to Inuyasha, Inuyasha only endured it, he—"

"Shut up!" Jacob snarled. "Just make her suffering go away!"

"Jacob!" Emmett roared.

"Shut up!" Jake snarled. "Ness is in pain—do something!"

"She already told you she can't!" Alice snapped, her eyes fixed on me.

"Where is Edward?!" Bella said, her eyes darting to me and to a wooden bamboo mat over a doorway that served as a door.

"Mom!" I gasped, my hands still on my stomach. "It hurts...so...much!"

"Ness," Bella said, placing a hand on my forehead. "Oh, Nessie..."

"Do something!" Jacob roared.

I couldn't make out much anymore—I was too preoccupied with the unbearable pain I was feeling. Urgh...I wanted to just close my eyes and die, such was the pain I felt! Against my better judgement, I looked down, shifting the blankets aside to get a look at my stomach.

Someone—probably Kagome—had stripped me of my shirt, but bandaged my stomach, all the way to my chest. My stomach...there was dark red blood on the bandages around my belly, something that made me want to throw up. I'd never seen my blood before—it was usually the blood of others...

Despite the agonizing pain I felt, I thought of how queer it was, seeing my own blood spilt. But the thought was immediately pushed aside by the pain.

"Jacob, please, kill me!" I gasped, supporting myself on my elbows.

"Inuyasha doesn't squirm this much, does he?" the voice of the monk was saying.

I fell back on my back, black clouding my vision. "Mom," I gasped, closing my eyes.

"Sesshoumaru's poison is what's making it painful," another voice, the voice of the slayer, was saying. But I couldn't make out much anymore—the veil of black was slowly falling over my vision.

"Poison?" Bella gasped. I could feel her eyes on me. "Ness, no!"

Then, it was pandemonium. I could hear them shouting angrily—well, the angry one was Jacob, everyone else was just worried.

"Do something!" Jacob roared.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha bellowed.

"Kagome, try purifying the poison!" I heard the monk say.

"I've never tried purifying Sesshoumaru's poison before!" Kagome said. I could hear anxiety and guilt in her voice. "Besides—Renesmee's a half-vampire. If I tried purifying the poison, what might happen to her?"

"There is one way..." Alice suggested.

"No!" Jacob snapped. "That would be just as bad as killing her!"

Their voices were becoming oddly muffled...

Why did I have to wake up? Why didn't I just die? I could feel Sesshoumaru's poison coursing through my system—it burned worse than vampire venom.

"Edward!"

Edward!

But it was too late. I could feel my body closing down from the pain and the poison—I wouldn't see my father's face again.

And then, I felt a sharp prick against my neck...

And then, a few seconds later...

The pain slowly faded away.

**-.-Jaken-.-**

"Milord, who has done this to you?!" Milord, my magnificent and awe-inspiring Lord Sesshoumaru, walked into the camp with blood on his neck, and on the collar of his haori. His blood was darker than the red honeycombs of his haori, and the white turned to red.

Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru does not answer as he strides into the camp, a colder-than-normal look in his eyes.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin gasps.

"Quiet, you silly girl!" I snap as my lord sits down underneath a tree, a hand on his knee. Ignoring the excruciating pain on his throat—Lord Sesshoumaru is awesome indeed!

"But I haven't said anything!" Rin protests. The insolent girl.

I ignore her and approach my lord. I stop a few feet away from him. There is a faraway look in my lord's eyes. What might be running through his thoughts? My eyes shift to the wound on my lord's throat—two puncture wounds that have already begun healing. The blood had already stopped flowing.

His gaze falls on me. "Gah!" I gasp, falling to my knees, my face touching the ground. "Forgive me for staring, my lord, but...who or what has done this to you?"

His eyes are cold. "A vampire."

I look up at him, blinking. "Eh?" I say. "What is a...vampire?" What a queer word!

Lord Sesshoumaru does not answer, instead he gazes at the sky. There is a faraway look in his eyes. "That girl," he says.

Girl? What girl?! Milord, referring to a girl! Oh, this won't bode well.

"Girl, my lord?" I ask, sitting back on my haunches. I became aware of Rin standing just a few yards behind me, hanging to Lord Sesshoumaru's every word.

"That girl, Renesmee," he says, his gaze meeting mine again, "is a vampire."

"Milord!" I shout, standing up. "Milord, do you mean to say...that that girl did this to you? She slipped past your infallible guard and did this to you?!"

Wrong choice of words.

A second later, I felt my lord's fist against my head, pushing me into the ground, my face against the dirt.

"I mean...how did she get passed you, my lord?"

"Jaken—silence."

I sit up, rubbing the bump that was sure to be forming on my head. "Forgive me, my lord!" But my lord's gaze was fixed on the heavens once again.

"Lord Sesshoumaru." It was Rin this time. I hope she asks something stupid!

"Hm?" My lord does not look at her.

"Why did...why Miss Ness harm you?" she asks.

"She desires me," he says dispassionately.

WHAT IN THE NAME OF...?!

That wench, desiring my lord?! And my lord casually admitting it?!

Before I could speak out, Rin beats me to it. "But...if she likes you, why did she harm you?"

"Rin, stop asking questions."

"Yes, my lord!" With that, the simple-minded dimwit trots off to the far side of the camp to play with Ah-Un.

"My lord," I say hesitantly. "What do you mean by that wench desiring you?"

"She desires my blood," he says succinctly.

"Blood?!"

"Jaken—shut up." It was a tone that left no room for argument. I immediately keep my silence but my mind continued to wonder...

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

It was peaceful now.

There was no pain—nothing at all. I could not even feel the burning pain of the omnipresent blaze in my throat, or the excruciating pain of Sesshoumaru's poison. There was no pain at all...

Was this...death?

No—it wasn't that. One, why was it so dark? Vampires had souls, I believed. It wasn't supposed to be dark...unless I was in hell. And two...I could hear voices...

Distant, muffled voices...

"That was genius, Edward!" Jasper's voice sounded as though he were talking through water. His voice was far away and distant. "Creating a needle from your tooth to inject the morphine into her...genius."

"You were quicker than normal," Emmett's voice, too, was dim.

"Of course I had to be," Edward said, his tone filled with nothing but hate. "She was suffering...that Sesshoumaru will pay dearly. I'll kill him."

"As if you can," Inuyasha's gruff voice wasn't quite so dim.

I heard Edward growl. "He's right, Edward." This voice—girlish, and high-pitched—belonged to Kagome. "Sesshoumaru isn't the easiest of opponents to beat."

Edward was still silent. "Kagome is right," Alice said. I could hear her whispering to Bella, translating for her and Jacob.

"You can't be serious, Edward," Bella said. "Going after that demon..."

"I want revenge."

"And I'll help you!" Emmett boomed. His voice sounded like a muffled canon shot.

"Emmett!" Rosalie snapped.

"Count me in!" Jasper enthused.

"Jasper!" Alice said.

"Then you'll help me?" Edward persisted.

"Edward!" Bella growled.

"As if you can," Inuyasha drawled.

There was a brief exchange of words. "Enough!" it was the voice the monk...I think...Miroku? "Not that I'm praising Sesshoumaru, but Inuyasha and Kagome are right—he's isn't an adversary you can easily confront."

"And why?" Edward seethed. Hm...their voices were becoming clearer.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is a great demon." This voice was new—it seemed to belong to an old man, and it was rather high-pitched.

"So?"

"Elaborate, Myouga," Inuyasha said.

"Great demons are far more powerful than ordinary demons," this Myouga person said. "Especially someone like Lord Sesshoumaru—his Father exceeded the standards of great demons, even."

"So what?" Emmett muttered.

"He's dangerous!" this voice belonged, I think, to the slayer whose name I couldn't quite recall. "Even Inuyasha can't beat him!"

"What?!" Inuyasha protested. "I've sent that dog scampering with his tail between his legs _plenty _of times!"

"See?" Edward said. I could almost picture him raising an eyebrow at the whole lot of them. "If Inuyasha can do it, so can we."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Not that I mean to side with him, Inuyasha," Kagome's reasonable voice said. "It may be true that you've sent Sesshoumaru running before...but have you done that recently? Ever since he acquired Bakusaiga, I mean...?"

"Why the hell are you siding with him?!"

"I'm not siding with him, baka! I was just trying to point out the dangers of confronting Sesshoumaru to Edward and the others!"

"You were siding with him!" Their voices were becoming clearer now...very clear...

Huh? Their voices were clearer than normal...

"I was not!"

"Shut up!"

"Sit!"

There was a loud crash, and a string of Japanese profanities that came from the hanyou.

"Dammit, Kagome!" Inuyasha snarled. I heard the rustling of his kimono as he sat back up. Rustling...Strange...I could hear every detail of the kimono as it rustled. I could tell which rustling came from the sleeves, or the hakama. I could even hear each hair on his head rub softly against each other as he sat up.

Huh?

Just by listening to the hardly-discernible creaking noises he made, I could tell which arm he used to support himself as he sat back up. Strange. What was strange was that I could hear a lot. Normally, compared to full-blooded vampires and werewolves, my hearing wasn't as acute, but now...

I could hear even the ants marching far off in the distant forest that surrounded the hut. I thought a forest surrounded the hut because of the rustling of the leaves. How strange—I've never been able to hear ants before.

"Do you think she's coming around?" Kagome asked.

"I hope not," Edward muttered. "I don't have any more morphine."

"You can just go back to our time and rob another hospital." Jacob's voice was so soothing...but oh so _rough_!

"How I wish you could see her, Alice," Bella muttered, and her voice sounded just like the soft tinkling of wind chimes. Beautiful. I was awed that my mother could sound so...musical. "I want to know when she'll wake up..."

"Don't worry, love, she'll wake soon," Edward reassured. Whoa...his voice was exactly like velvet. "I can hear her thoughts..."

I guess it was time to wake up. The moment I thought of it, my eyes opened of their own accord.

Wow...

The moment I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the wooden ceiling of the hut—it was strange. I could see the dust motes...I've never seen them before. They looked like silver strands of hair dancing together in a celestial dance...

The second thing I saw was Jacob.

Incredible.

His skin was like russet colored silk, his eyes...no words could describe them. He was looking down at me, those eyes filled with concern.

"Ness?" he murmured. His voice was rough...but I loved it.

"Jake?" I whispered. I sat up with a speed that would have left the room blurry...but it wasn't. Everything was still so painstakingly clear. Every detail, every texture...

"Ness, how are you feeling?" I turned to Bella. Somehow, my vision must have sharpened, because, until now, I never noticed how...how..._ethereal_ she looked. There was concern in her beautiful honey-gold eyes.

"Mom?" I said. I glanced around me. Edward was sitting on my right, Bella beside him, while Jacob was at my left. My vampire family was clustered behind Edward and Bella, all looking at me with anxious eyes (I had to do a double-take when I laid eyes on Rosalie), while Inuyasha and his companions were grouped just behind Jake. A tiny part of mind took note of how queer it was that Jake would turn his back on Inuyasha and his friends, but the thought was immediately pushed aside.

"Are you alright?" Bell asked. "You were in such pain..." Her face appeared pained, as though my suffering caused her pain...which it probably did.

Pain? Of course...Sesshoumaru's poison.

I shook my head. "I feel...fine," I muttered, looking at Bella.

She smiled. "Edward ran faster than normal, did you know?" she said. "He went back to the present, stole morphine, and came back here."

I blinked. "What...happened, anyway?" I said, looking around me. I was sitting up on a futon, thick, coarse blankets draped over me.

"What else?" a gruff voice muttered. My eyes swept towards the owner of the voice...Inuyasha, no doubt. He was sitting next to Kagome, his arms folded across his chest and...wow. His hair...it was such a beautiful shade of silver, and it seemed so soft, like satin. His eyes were like golden honey—even more beautiful than the golden eyes of 'vegetarian' vampires. Beside him, Kagome looked even prettier than she was...

What was wrong with me?

"You pounced on Sesshoumaru, and he punched a hole through your gut," Inuyasha went on.

What?

"Will you please be a little more tact?" Edward demanded.

"Got a problem?" Inuyasha snapped.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome, Miroku and the other girl said.

"Yes. You." Edward narrowed his eyes at the hanyou.

"Edward!" Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie said, sighing.

I ignored them. "Can someone please tell me exactly what happened?" I asked, sighing.

Everyone's eyes darted to me. "What?" I said.

Alice sighed and shuffled closer to us, sitting next to Edward and Bella as she did so. "Inuyasha's right—you pounced," she said.

I blinked. "Of all the people to find appealing..." Emmett muttered. He glanced at Jacob, a wicked grin on his lips. "Better watch out, Jake," he went on. "She finds that demon appealing—I may be a guy, but even I know when there's danger." He winked.

I blushed. "Emmett!" Rosalie snapped, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. Emmett only sniggered.

I looked at Jake. To my relief, he was grinning. "No big," he said, placing his hand on mine. "She knows who owns her." I smiled, but from the peripheral of my vision, I saw Edward and Bella raise their eyebrows at him, annoyed.

"Disgusting," Inuyasha muttered.

"Can we please get back to the topic?" I said, sighing. "What happened? I don't remember much."

"Well, long story short, you bit Sesshoumaru," Kagome said.

I stared at her, my eyes wide with shock. No wonder the thirst in my throat was temporarily gone. His blood had quenched the flame, though I knew the flame would be back soon. I tried to ignore the desire to remember what his blood tasted like—it wouldn't help if I darted out of the hut to find him.

"Then?" I persisted. "What happened next? Did I...kill him?" Though he was a demon, I didn't want to kill a rational being. I could feel guilt hovering around me, ready to possess me.

"Don't flatter yourself," Inuyasha said. Edward narrowed his eyes at him.

I sighed. "Kagome," I said, turning to her. "Can _you _tell me what happened?"

She nodded. "As I said, you bit him," she said. "Don't worry, he's fine—he doesn't _die_, that Sesshoumaru. But..." She glanced at Edward and Bella, as though trying to ask them if she should tell me something or just omit it.

Edward gave a tiny shake of the head. "Just tell me," I said, sighing. "I'm not a baby anymore, for crying out loud."

Kagome hesitated, and Bella nodded. "Well, Sesshoumaru...well..."

"He punched a hole through your gut," Inuyasha said.

Huh? Of course...how could I forget the bloody bandages that I saw on my stomach earlier? I pushed the blankets off me, conscious of everyone's eyes on me. I ignored them and rolled my blood stained blouse to just below my diaphragm. The bloody bandages were there, but...

"Miroku!" the other girl snapped as I tried to take off the bandages.

"What, Sango?" Miroku asked innocently. I heard Jake growl at him.

"Ness, what are you doing?" Bella asked.

"Help me take the bandages off?" I requested, looking at Bella.

"Your wound will bleed like mad," Kagome interjected, shocked. "Severe wounds inflicted by Sesshoumaru usually take several days to heal, and that's Inuyasha's standard."

I shook my head. "Just help me."

"Ness," Edward began.

I sighed and repeated my request. Alice and Bella glanced uneasily at one another and together they helped me peel back the bandages.

The wound was gone.

There was no bloody hole in my gut—the wound was totally gone. Not even a scar remained.

"It's gone," Alice breathed, as though it should not have healed quickly which, in my case, it probably shouldn't have.

"Incredible," Kagome said, scooting closer to Jacob, who tensed, to get a good look at my nonexistent wound.

"She _is_ a half-vampire," Jasper said, speaking up.

"Even so," Miroku said, coming closer. "Considering the fact that the person who inflicted that wound was Sesshoumaru...it should've taken around two days to heal, at the most...but it healed in a few hours." He sounded awed.

"Jasper's right," I said, covering my stomach with my bloody shirt. "I _am _half-vampire." Really, just because it healed fast, didn't mean they had to be too awed. It sounded almost insulting.

But Edward was giving me one of his calculating looks again. I felt uneasy. He looked into my eyes, and smiled. "Ness is right," he said at last. "Considering who her parents are, it's no surprise that her wound is gone."

His smile was so genuine that it soothed me. I felt myself relaxing. Time for a new topic. "Anyway," I said. "First and foremost, can anyone tell me where I can wash all this blood off?"

Edward and Bella cringed and Jacob bit his lower lip. They didn't like 'I' and 'blood' in the same sentence, I guess.

I looked at Kagome. "Kagome?" I asked.

She nodded. "There was a hot spring nearby. I could take you there."

"I'm coming with you," Bella said.

"Bella, I'll be fine," I said, sighing. Really...I wasn't a toddler anymore...besides...there was something I wanted to ask Kagome, or anyone with a sufficient knowledge of demons.

"Listen to your mother," Edward said firmly.

"Bah, she'll be fine, Edward," Emmett spoke up. "Besides, we need everyone here to talk about what we'll do next."

Edward muttered something and Bellla looked as though she were about to protest. "You can't go on your own, Ness," Jake said.

"She won't be alone," Kagome said, sighing at the distrustful tone in Jake's voice. "Sango and I will go with her." She gestured to the pretty girl behind her. Jake still looked apprehensive.

"C'mon, Jake, I'm not a kid anymore," I said. "Yeesh...all this fuss over a bath..."

**-o-Kagome-o-**

Renesmee stared into the moonlit water, her brows drawn together in the center.

I knew it.

She wanted to come here to talk to me about something.

She was sitting at the edge of the pool, a towel wrapped around her, her blood-free clothes laid out on the rocks nearby. Sango was already in the water with me, her eyes fixed on the moon. I stared at Renesmee. Something was bothering her, I could tell.

"So," I said lightly. "What's up?"

She looked at me, her eyes startled. "Um...what do you mean?" she asked, her eyes shifting guiltily.

"You've had that look ever since we got here," I pointed out.

She blinked. "What look?"

Did she realize that she wasn't a good liar? Sure, she wasn't quite obvious, but I could still tell. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Kagome's right," Sango said. She looked at Renesmee, her head slightly tilted. "You looked restless ever since we left the others."

"Have I?" she asked, blinking innocently.

"You have," Sango and I said in unison.

She was silent, her eyes fixed on the moon. Her legs were submerged in the warm water. "You _do _have a problem, don't you?" I guessed.

She sighed and slid into the warm water, her back pressed firmly against the rocky shelf. "Yeah," Renesmee admitted, leaning back in the water till it reached her chin. She looked at us both. "It's not really a problem...I just wanted to ask..."

"Go on," Sango said soothingly.

Renesmee's chocolate brown eyes looked downcast. "First...I've felt...guilty, you know," she quietly.

What she was guilty about, I could only guess. "You mean...about..." I hesitated, wondering if I could put it in such blunt terms. I didn't want to offend her.

"About attacking Sesshoumaru?" Sango offered.

She looked startled, but nodded. "Yeah," she admitted. "That's one of the problems."

"You really don't have to feel guilty about that," I said, rolling my eyes. "That didn't even hurt Sesshoumaru..." I didn't want to mention that his retaliation contradicted me.

Renesmee shook her head. "It's just that I still feel guilty," she said, leaning her head against the rock. "I mean...it just reminded me that I'm a monster..."

I stared at her, incredulous. How could someone so lovely be a monster? You might as well cast an angel as a zombie—it just didn't mix. "You're not a monster," I said.

"You really aren't," Sango agreed, nodding.

She shook her head. "I can't deny what I am!" she said, frustrated. "We sometimes make jokes about...about being 'vegetarians'." She rolled her eyes. "But still...even though we joke about, the fact remains that we're monsters..."

How could anyone compare a monster to the beautiful Cullens? "Please don't say we aren't," she said, sighing. "It really won't help...anyway...I feel guilty about...biting him."

"You couldn't help it," Sango said. "It's in your nature." There was something in her eyes that seemed doubtful of Renesmee. I had a sneaking feeling Sango didn't completely trust her yet.

"Is he fine?" she asked, looking us both in the eye.

Wow...the fact that someone would actually be worried about _Sesshoumaru_ was...strange. "Pft, you don't have to worry about him," Sango said dismissively. "But yes, he's fine."

"He heals quickly," I reassured. "Even managed to regenerate his left arm."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow," she said to herself. She shook her head. "I have another question..." It was then that I knew this was her real problem—she looked tense and she bit her lower lip. Sesshoumaru was just an intro.

"What is it?" I prompted, when she grew quiet. She looked worried. She glanced around. The leaves rustled in the wind, making shadows dance across the surface of the water. The wind was cool, and it made me shiver despite the hot spring. But it wasn't the wind that bothered Renesmee.

"I'm," she hesitated and then waded through the water, closer to us. Sango subtly tensed as she approached, but I didn't mind. Renesmee stopped a foot away from us. She lowered her voice. "I'm afraid of being overheard," she whispered, her voice so low I couldn't even say it was a whisper. "I don't want Edward and the others to find out, because I don't know how they'll react..."

"What is it?" I asked.

She bit her lower lip. "I think...I think Sesshoumaru's blood has...side effects."

We stared at her, eyes wide. "Side effects?"

She nodded. "No one has ever heard of a vampire gorging on the blood of a demon," she said. "So no one knows what happens, but...ever since I...bit him...everything seems...so..._clear_."

"Clear?" I asked, bewildered.

"Heightened senses?" Sango guessed, raising an eyebrow.

Renesmee nodded, worried. "I don't think it's permanent but...I'm anxious..."

"Is that all?" Sango asked, her voice sharp. "Only heightened senses?"

Renesmee nodded again.

"You seem to know something about it," I said, looking at Sango.

Sango sighed. "There was a time," she said, "long ago, in the village...A weak daiyoukai came across us. This demon wasn't as strong as Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha, but it was stronger than most. Anyway, this demon came and we managed to kill it, weakened thing it was. I was only five then. At that time, there was an arrogant exterminator, Hiro, I recall. He was over fifteen summers and he was thrilled to be one of the exterminators to kill the daiyoukai. The fool...he bottled the demon's blood, as a sort of trophy.

"And then...we don't know why he did it, but...one night, he...drank the blood. Whether he was possessed or just curious, we didn't know—father didn't elaborate on him."

"Then what happened?" Renesmee asked, her chocolate eyes wide.

"Hiro...he acted strange and then...more...powerful. The demon's blood empowered him," Sango looked at Renesmee. "He became faster, stronger, and his senses sharper and we had to be wary with him because he became temperamental—quick to take offense and find insult. And then...he went mad." She looked meaningfully at me. "The same kind of madness that possesses Inuyasha when he lets his demon side get the better of him." She said the last part in Japanese.

My eyes widened in shock. Sango and I looked at Renesmee who was looking at us with a puzzled expression on her angel's face.

"What?" she asked. "Is something wrong? Wait...what about the human who went mad with demon's blood?" She sounded panicked now. "I need to know what happened to him!"

Sango and I looked at each other and we both immediately understood what we had to do—we had to lie. And then consult Miroku and the others about this later.

I turned my gaze from Sango and back towards Renesmee. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the steam from the water as she looked at me, worry written in her chocolate brown eyes. I hesitated. I wasn't really that good at lying—well, I could lie to Inuyasha...but then again, he was about as dense as they could get.

"Well?" she asked.

I smiled and Sango did the same. "Oh, it wore off," Sango said, waving her hand dismissively. "Though, it was quite a while until the effects wore off."

"Did he remain mad?"

"He regained his sanity afterward," Sango reassured. "Of course, the fact that he was possessed by a demon's blood...well, the shame was permanent."

Ness nodded, though she still looked worried. "Oh, wipe that worried look off your face!" Sango chided, playfully splashing water towards Ness whose eyes widened as the water hit her.

"Why, you!" she snarled, flecking water at us.

She didn't seem worried anymore...

For now, at least.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Where are you going?" Edward asked, suspicious.

I sighed.

It was late, and Renesmee was already asleep, snuggled up against Jacob, much to Edward's chagrin—which was why he was annoyingly suspicious—instead of just suspicious—about me and the others wanting to go somewhere their superior hearing wouldn't reach us.

Everyone was sitting around the hut. Rosalie was curled up against Emmett, near the back wall; Alice was sitting next to Jasper, the latter running a hand through her short, pixie hair, his eyes fixed hungrily on me (he was starting to creep me out, seriously); Bella was leaning her head on Edward's shoulder, her eyes closed, though she wasn't really asleep. At the sound of Edward's voice, however, she lifted her head and looked at us.

"My friends and I want to go look for clues of Naraku," I lied, trying to be careful with my thoughts. Urgh...it was so hard to do.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me, trying to read my thoughts.

Quick—think of something else! Uh...homework! At the thought of homework, books filled my head and Edward's eyes narrowed even further. His golden gaze swept to Miroku and a look of distaste appeared for a fraction of a second on his perfect features (no doubt Miroku was thinking of something perverted). He glanced at Sango, who only raised her eyebrows appraisingly at him; finally, his gaze swivelled to Inuyasha.

"You can't get in my head," Inuyasha taunted.

"That's because you're head is harder than most," Edward rejoined, smirking

"What?!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Inuyasha...." I said, sighing.

"Edward, don't start," Bella said.

"They're hiding something from us," Edward said, his eyes locking on mine. "No sane person thinks about homework when she's in the midst of vampires and demons."

I raised an eyebrow petulantly at him. "I'm afraid of flunking, you know!" I snapped, though he was accurate on that one.

"See?" Edward said, smirking.

Aw, man. "What are you hiding from us?" Edward demanded, and it seemed to me as though the intensity of his golden gaze increased.

"None of your business!" Inuyasha snarled, tactfully keeping his voice low. I'm guessing he didn't want to wake Jacob.

"Before we all argue, enough," Miroku said, his voice firm. He looked at Edward. "Yes, we were hiding something—and that's the reason why we wanted to go somewhere you wouldn't hear us."

Edward looked grim, while Emmett narrowed his eyes at us.

"Edward?" Bella asked. "What are they...?"

"They're hiding something from us, love," Edward said, in English.

Bella's eyes widened and she looked at me with a puzzled look in her eyes. And then, the mother's intuition hit her. "Is it...about Renesmee?" she asked. At the sound of her name, the Cullens all looked at Renesmee, who was tucked up against Jacob, her head snuggled against the hollow of his throat.

Sango and I looked at one another. "Is it?" Edward demanded.

I nodded. "Explain," Edward demanded, his tone trying to be conciliatory.

"We think Sesshoumaru's blood might have some...side effects on Renesmee," Sango said, her voice so low, I had to lean in to hear her.

The Cullens all tensed. They stared at Sango, a group of ethereal beings frozen in a tableau of shock and ignorance. The interminable silence that followed Sango's words felt oppressive to me.

"What...effects?" Edward asked, breaking the silence. For the first time since I'd met him, his voice seemed to falter. Of course it would—demon blood was going to do something strange to his daughter, for Pete's sake.

"I'm not sure," Sango answered, her tone apologetic. "She didn't...drink much, since Sesshoumaru...well...you all know what he did."

"What effects?" Edward repeated, his voice oddly flat.

"Edward," Emmett said.

"I told you, I don't know," Sango said petulantly. "A human who drank the blood of a demon lost his sanity, but regained it when the demon blood left his system. But Renesmee is half-vampire—there's no telling what could happen to her." Edward translated for Bella, whose eyes widened.

"You mean..._his _blood has...side effects?" she asked, her bell voice wavering.

"What...the hell...do you..._mean_?!" A rough voice hissed, cutting through the tense air like a knife.

The humans in the room—myself included—nearly jumped at the sound of Jacob's voice. He was awake. We looked at him. He was sitting up, Renesmee's head on his lap, his eyes glaring at us.

"What...is going on with...Ness?" he said, and every syllable was imbued with menace.

"Jacob," Bella said. "Don't be so provocative."

Jacob ignored her, his eyes on me. "What the hell has that effeminate demon bastard done to my Ness?" he demanded, his voice growing louder. Renesmee groaned slightly, and let out a sigh. We all looked at her—she was still asleep.

"Well?" Jacob demanded, his voice softening.

I inwardly sighed and switched to English. "Sesshoumaru's blood...it's going to do something to Ness. We don't know what it is, and we don't know if it's good or bad."

"And how do you know this?" Edward said, deliberately cutting Jacob off instead of just plucking the answer from my head.

"While in the hot spring, Ness told us that ever since she bit Sesshoumaru, her senses are...sharper," I said.

Edward swapped a glance with almost every vampire in the room, his golden eyes unfathomable. He exchanged a long look with Bella, and I had a feeling that they were having a silent one-way mind-to-mind talk. Finally, he pulled his gaze away from hers.

"What else do you think she might...manifest?" Edward asked, a hard and worried look in his eyes. Though his eyes were turbulent, his voice was calm, almost cold even.

"I don't know," I said, turning to Sango. "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure either," Sango murmured, her eyes fixed on the low flickering fire. There was a crease between her eyebrows, a sure sign that she was thinking.

"I thought you encountered something like this before?" Edward snapped.

Sango frowned at him, annoyed at the mental invasion of her privacy. "We did," she admitted, her voice acerbic. "However, the demon whose blood Hiro drank was weak compared to Sesshoumaru...there's no telling what sort of effects his blood might have on her."

The Cullens were silent, their golden eyes fixed wholly on Sango. "Wait a minute," Miroku said. "There might be someone who'll know."

"If you're thinking Kaede or Totosai," Inuyasha began.

"No, no, not them," Miroku said, rolling his eyes. "I'm talking about someone who _has _gorged himself on the blood of a demon as strong—maybe even stronger—as Sesshoumaru."

"His father?" Edward asked. "A vampire who gorged on his father?"

Of course! "Not a vampire, Myouga!" I said, excited. It was so obvious! Myouga would know—he always did.

"The flea?"Jacob asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

I ignored him. "Wait...has anyone seen him?"

"He left just after you three went to the hot spring," Inuyasha said.

"I'll go find him," Edward said, standing up.

"I'm coming with you," Bella said.

"Dido," Jasper said. I had a feeling he wanted to be free of my scent.

"Hunting for a flea..." Alice said.

"Not much, but better than nothing," Emmett put in.

"Don't think I'm letting you go off on your own," Rosalie reminded.

"It's best if we go with you," Miroku said. "Inuyasha, Sango and I will go with them. You and Kagome stay here."

"What?!"

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Fine. Kagome, you and Jacob can stay here with—"

"Fine!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm damn staying!"

I smiled, pleased with his answer. "All right, let's go," Miroku said and, in a flash, they all darted out the door.

That left us alone with Jacob. Shipppou, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly lunged towards me, seating himself on my lap and as far away from Jacob as was possible.

Jacob's eyes were fixed on Renesmee's sleeping face with worry. "Tell me," he said in English, his voice low, strained. "What do you think will...happen to her? I mean..."

Truth be told, I really didn't like Jacob, but I didn't hate him. Still, I didn't want to see him so worried.

"I don't really know," I muttered. From the peripheral of my vision, I could see Inuyasha frowning at the switch in language. The language barrier was such a pain.

Jacob said no more, his eyes fixed on Renesmee.

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

It was windy.

And the wind smelt of salt.

The smell of the sea...

Where was I?

I was standing near the sea. The waves crashed against the shore, sending sprays of water at me. But I didn't mind. Water couldn't harm me. _Nothing_ could harm me, in fact...

In front of me, the moon was gloriously full. I felt as though I could reach it, if I extended my hand towards it...

But it wasn't the moon that held my attention.

It was a silver-haired, armor encrusted demon who stood in front of me, his back turned to me, his ponytail blowing gently with the salty wind. He was badly injured, a wound on his arm dripping blood onto the sand.

Where was I? Was I dreaming? How strange...the only people I'd ever dreamt about were Bella, Edward, Jacob, and sometimes my vampire family...who was this man?

Before I could call out to him, I spoke.

"Father...do you insist on going?" My eyes widened in shock. That cold, silken voice did not belong to me! In fact...I had a feeling I knew to whom it belonged...

"Do you intend to stop me, Sesshoumaru?" the man asked.

What?!

Se...sshoumaru?

"I will not stand in your way," I went on. "However, before you go, I would like you to entrust the swords Sou'unga and Tessaiga to me."

"And if I refuse, will you kill me, your own father?" There was a pause and I stared at his back, waiting. No, not me...Sesshoumaru. "Do you desire power so much? Why do you seek power, my son?"

Was the answer not obvious? "The path I walk is the way of supreme conquest and it is power that will reveal the way for me."

"Supreme conquest?" He paused again. What more did he wish to say? "Tell me, Sesshoumaru...have you someone to protect?"

"Protect?" I narrowed my eyes. What an asinine question! The wind blew between father and I, filling in the silence that followed his question.

"The answer is no," I said, raising my claws. "I, Sesshoumaru, have no need of such."

The wind blew more fiercely as Father's youki rose. His silver hair blew wildly with the wind and in a flash, Father vanished and in his place towered a colossal, silver, majestic dog. The canine growled and then flew towards the moon.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I woke up.

The first thing I noticed was that my heart was thudding violently in my chest. The second thing I noticed was that my head was leaning on Jacob's lap—his familiar and comforting husky scent overpowered my senses. The third thing I noticed was that he, Inuyasha and Kagome were talking—in very hushed voices—about something that seemed to dismay Jacob...but they suddenly stopped. It was safe to presume that they had been talking about me, then.

But despite that, that wasn't why I was suddenly worried. "Ness?" Jake whispered, looking into my eyes. The dim firelight seemed to make his russet skin glow. "Did we wake you?"

I stared into his eyes for a moment, momentarily mesmerized by their beauty and then, a second later, I sat up. "It's good that you woke me," I whispered. For some strange reason, I suddenly felt...annoyed? But why? I could never be annoyed with Jake...

Jacob huffed and turned back to Kagome. "Wait..." I said, looking around the room. "Where are the others?"

"They went to look for Myouga," Kagome answered. She was holding Shippou in her lap, her eyes fixed on me with concern. "Is anything wrong? You seem...edgy."

Did I?

I blinked. I mean...who wouldn't be, after dreaming about being someone else?! For a brief moment, I wondered if I should tell them...or maybe not. I mean...one little dream was absolutely harmless, right?

"Why'd they all look for Myouga?" I asked. I felt very annoyed and slightly hurt that Edward and Bella would just run off without telling me...wait...my vampires _and_ Inuyasha's friends had all run off...why? The fact that all of them went only told me that it was paramount that they found Myouga, and fast.

"Isn't it obvious?" Inuyasha muttered.

"No one asked your opinion, half-breed!" I snapped, the annoyance rising.

My eyes suddenly widened.

What...did I...say?

I clamped a hand to my mouth, shock coursing through me. What the hell did I say? Those words...I would never say them, seeing as _I _was a half-breed myself!

I wasn't the only one who was shocked. Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou were staring at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. Jacob, who could not understand Japanese, only glanced from me, to Kagome and the others, confused.

A second later, Inuyasha snapped out of it. "I ain't surprised," he said sourly. Huh? He wasn't screaming at me? "Seeing as whose blood you sucked."

It was then that I started trembling. "I'm so sorry!" I said. "I didn't mean...!"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Forget it." Guilt racked me.

The hut suddenly fell into silence. "That's why they all went looking for Myouga," Kagome suddenly said, breaking the quiet. She looked at me. "To find out if...to find out what the side effects of Sesshoumaru's blood will be..."

I felt dazed...and then I decided to tell them. "The real reason I woke up is because...of a dream," I mumbled, looking down at my hands. I could feel Jake's comforting hand on my shoulder. I deliberately spoke in Japanese—I didn't want him to know about this...it would only worry him.

I looked up at Inuyasha and Kagome, both of whom had looks on their faces encouraging me to go on. "I dreamt...about a silver-haired demon..."

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asked. I could feel Jake tighten his hand comfortingly at the sound of Sesshoumaru's name.

"Yes...and no," I muttered. I looked into his golden eyes and he held my gaze. "I dreamt about...seeing his father."

What was that expression on Inuyasha's face? "My old man?" he asked.

I nodded. "Sesshoumaru was...asking if he intended to go somewhere...and your father said yes. And then Sesshoumaru asked that two swords—I forgot their names, sorry—should be entrusted to him..." I was suddenly shaking. Why? Why did I dream about that? "And...in this dream..._I_ was Sesshoumaru..."

They stared at me with wide eyes. I bit my lower lip at their expressions. So many questions raced through my mind. Why did I dream about being Sesshoumaru? In particular, why did I dream about his father? I voiced the last and most important question out loud.

"Kagome...what's _happening_ to me?" I asked, feeling despair and dread welling up inside me. Kaogme looked both apologetic and worried.

"I don't know, Ness," she said. "I really don't know."

**o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: I know what you guys are thinking—I'm sloppy.**

**Inuyasha: damn right, you are.**

**A1969: I really am so, so sorry for the late updates! It's just that I've been so, so busy! I swear, I am trying my best to update regularly, but it's just so hard to do.**

**Kagome: lucky for you, I forgive you.**

**Alice: I'm not sure if I do, though.**

**Bella: she apologized!**

**Alice: I don't have much lines in this chapter.**

**A1969: -blink- I'll make it you to you, Alice! Oh, and please review...that is, if you guys aren't pissed off at me.**


	11. Suppressed

**A1969: yo! I'm back!**

**Alice: about time. –sigh- if I wasn't a vampire, I'd be dead by now, at the rate you update.**

**Inuyasha: finally! Someone who finally agrees with me!**

**Alice: I wasn't agreeing with you—I was only joking.**

**Bella: okay...**

**Kagome: is she always like this?**

**Bella: you get used to it.**

**A1969: **_**anyway...**_**once again, I have to say sorry for the late update. Oh, and thanks to those who read and reviewed!**

**-o-Chapter Eleven-o-**

**-Suppressed- **

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"What the hell is taking them so long?!" Inuyasha complained, peering out the doormat.

"Can it, dog breath—you'll wake Ness," Jacob muttered, forgetting that Inuyasha couldn't understand him. I sighed as Inuyasha turned to glare at him. It was probably several hours since Renesmee had fallen asleep once again on Jacob's lap. Jake was gently stroking her hair, his eyes fixed intently on her face.

"What did he say?" Inuyasha asked me, somewhat grudgingly.

"He told you to keep it down," I said, sighing. "Otherwise, you'll wake Renesmee."

Inuyasha scoffed then sat back down next to me. "If I wake her up, it'll be a good thing," he said, his voice lower now. "Who knows? She might be dreaming about Sesshoumaru again." He shuddered.

I was silent. I glanced at Renesmee. Really...what was she dreaming about? Sesshoumaru again? Why? What was happening to her?

"I wish they'd find Myouga, and quick," I said, sighing, as I stared into the fire.

"Did someone say my name?"

My eyes widened in shock. Inuyasha had a confounded expression on his face. Shippou blinked up at me, and Jacob tensed, looking around for the unseen voice.

"Myouga!" Inuyasha screamed, looking around the small hut. "Where the hell are you?"

"Right here, Master!" We all turned to Renesmee. True enough, Myouga was sitting amidst her bangs.

"What the hell?!" Jacob hissed, looking down at the flea. "What the heck...?"

"You were there the whole time?" Inuyasha and I asked in unison.

Myouga blinked. "Yes, I fell asleep on this girl's head—she's quite warm, you see."

Renesmee suddenly let out a small groan. Her eyes suddenly flew open. "Jake?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Ness!" Jacob said. "I'm sorry we were so noisy!"

She shook her head as she sat up, causing Myouga to fall from her head and onto her lap. "Eh?" she said, blinking down at him.

"Why, hello, Miss," Myouga greeted, a friendly smile on his face. He leapt lightly onto her nose. "I must say, you're quite ravishing! I wonder if—" But before he could continue his sentence, Inuyasha reached out and took Myouga between his fingers.

"You mean to tell me," Inuyasha began, his voice deadly, comical fury in his eyes. "That you've been hiding out in Renesmee's hair the whole damn time?! Why the hell didn't you say something?!"

"I was asleep!" Myouga defended.

Inuyasha glared and then, much to our amusement, he held Myouga over the fire.

"Master, what are you doing?! Let me go! Have mercy!" The miniscule demon started squirming in Inuyasha's grasp.

"You made us...you made_ me_ wait the _whole damn time_?!" Inuyasha snarled.

"Inuyasha, sit."

Myouga flew from Inuyasha's hand and into my open hand. I tried to ignore Inuyasha's stream of profanities as he plunged face first into the wooden floor.

Jacob let out a howl of laughter as he watched Inuyasha sit up. "Don't laugh," Renesmee told him, sighing. "Not that I mean to be a killjoy, but you'll only end up arguing again." Jacob promptly stopped.

Point well taken.

Anyway...

"Hey, Myouga," I said, looking down at him. "There's something we want to ask you."

"Obviously," Myouga said, still surly from his enflamed experience. He let out a sigh. "My apologies, Kagome, for my uncouth tone. Anyway, what did you want to ask me?"

"Well, it's like this," I began. "Renesmee was able to..."—urgh, how could I say it in an inoffensive manner?—"she was able to...get to Sesshoumaru."

He looked up at me, confused. "Inuyasha gets to his elder brother all the time," he pointed out. "And they both end up lashing at each other. But who can blame Lord Sesshoumaru? Master Inuyasha is as annoying as they get."

"Hey!" the hanyou protested. "Maybe I should just throw you into the fire, instead of dangling you over it!"

"He does have a point, Inuyasha," Shippou said. A second later, a loud thud echoed throughout the hut. "Ow! Kagome, Inuyasha hit me!"

"Sit!"

I ignored him as he cursed again. "Myouga, I'm sure you know what I mean," I said, sighing.

"Well, Kagome, the phrase 'got to' implies many things," he said.

I sighed. "What she means to say is that I've sucked Sesshoumaru's blood." My eyebrows shot up in surprise as I turned to Renesmee. There was a hard look in her eyes as she stared at Myouga. Her hand was encased in Jacob's, a sign of comfort to her.

Myouga nodded and then, a second later, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Hold on a minute!" he said, shaking his head. "Kagome explained to me what you and your family are, but she also said that you could resist! Why on earth did you—"

"Because his blood calls out to me," Renesmee said quietly, her chocolate eyes fixed on her hand that Jacob held.

Myouga blinked. "Calls out?" Boy, for someone supposedly so smart, he's being a little dim right now.

Renesmee looked up at him, her eyes hard as ice. "His blood more than calls out to me...it practically sings for me," she explained. She sighed. "Meaning...I _want _him...badly." There was a pained look in her eyes as she said the words.

Okay, I know that she doesn't mean it _that_ way, but hearing someone say that she _wants _Sesshoumaru _badly_ is pretty darn disturbing. Even Inuyasha's eyebrows were twitching as Renesmee said the words.

"Wait a minute!" Myouga said, shaking his head again. "You want Lord Sesshoumaru? No one woman has ever declared herself—!"

"I don't mean it that way!" Renesmee shouted, blushing. "Sorry, maybe I used the wrong choice of words...let's just say I crave him..."

_My _eyebrows twitched. Both Shippou and Inuyasha looked as though they wanted to throw up. She was _definitely_ using the wrong choice of words. Jacob was lucky that he couldn't understand Japanese!

"You..._crave_?" Myouga stammered, his eyes bugging out.

Renesmee blinked. "Oops, sorry! I don't mean it _that_ way!" She let out a frustrated sigh. Her cheeks were scarlet. "Fine, let's be blunt. Myouga, you know I'm half a vampire, right? Well, sometimes, as vampires, we crave the blood of certain people..."

"I see," Myouga said, nodding. "And you said that you were able to get to Lord Sesshoumaru? Able to...drink his blood?" There was a pained look in her eyes as Renesmee nodded.

"I was wondering if you could tell me about the...side effects," Renesmee said.

Myouga sighed. "I'm sorry to say this, but even though I've feasted on the luscious blood of Master Inuyasha's father, I have never experienced any...side effects as you call them. But then again, Miss Renesmee, I'm a full-blooded demon—"

"Albeit an improper one," Inuyasha muttered.

"—so demon's blood will have no effect on me. But you...not only are you a vampire, a creature that I've never even heard of before, but you are half _human_...and humans cannot contain demon blood." He threw an uneasy glance at Inuyasha, who suddenly went quiet, his hard eyes fixed on the wooden floor. I knew then that, despite his aversion to the Cullens, Inuyasha could relate with Renesmee. Both of them were half human...both of them were in jeopardy of the demon blood within them. Looking at Inuyasha, I wanted to reach out and place a hand on his shoulder, but I didn't dare.

"So you really don't know?" Renesmee asked, looking defeated.

Myouga shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"What is it?" All this time, Jacob had been silent, but now, seeing the worried look on Renesmee's face, he broke his silence. "Does he know what that bastard's blood is doing...?"

Renesmee smiled at him. I was amazed at how easily her face was transfigured from worried to happy in a matter of seconds.

"Everything's fine," she reassured.

Jacob still looked uneasy as Renesmee leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"They're back," Inuyasha said as he stood up, sniffing.

"Eh?" Renesmee opened her eyes and pulled herself away from Jacob. "Who's back?"

But before Inuyasha could answer, the six Cullens, Miroku, Sango and Kirara burst into the hut.

"We're sorry, we couldn't find Myouga," Miroku said as he and Sango sat down.

"That's because he's been here the whole time," I said, sighing, holding out Myouga to them.

Miroku and Sango looked furious. "You mean to say you've been here the whole time?" Sango said, glaring.

"My apologies!" Myouga said hastily. An annoyed Sango was very dangerous.

"Renesmee, you're awake!" Bella said, abandoning Edward's side to sit next to her daughter. "I'm sorry if Edward and I left—we had to look for the flea."

"He was asleep in my hair," Renesmee said, sighing.

Bella turned serious. "Did you ask him if...?"

Edward was suddenly beside her. "He doesn't know," Renesmee whispered, worry in her eyes once more.

"But how are you feeling?" Edward asked.

Renesmee attempted to smile. "I'm fine," she said.

"Liar." We all turned, surprised, to see Inuyasha regarding Renesmee with raised eyebrows, his arms crossed. "Why don't you tell them about that dream you had?"

"Dream?" Edward said.

"Thanks a lot, Inuyasha," Renesmee muttered. She turned to Edward and Bella. "I had a dream..." She suddenly reached out and placed a hand on Bella's face. Bella's eyes widened in surprise, but she soon turned serious, her eyebrows furrowed as though she were concentrating on something. Edward, too, had a look of pure concentration on his face as he looked intently at Renesmee.

"What are they doing?" Sango asked, voicing out my question.

It was Alice who answered. "Renesmee is showing them her dream," she explained. "It's her gift—she can show people her thoughts, kind of the opposite of what Edward can do."

We nodded as we turned to stare back at the trio. Edward suddenly looked angry, while Bella looked worried.

"I can't believe this," Edward said, breaking free of the tableau. "You dreamt that..."

"What's going on?" Jacob asked. He looked at Renesmee. "Ness...tell me the truth."

Renesmee hesitated then reached out and placed a hand gently on his cheek. Jacob closed his eyes as Renesmee 'showed' him.

Several moments passed by before Jake finally opened his eyes. "Weird, Ness," he said at last. There was no sign of conviction on his face, but his voice seemed hard.

"I'm sorry," Renesmee whispered, looking down at her hands.

"Bah, sorry about what?" Jacob asked, carelessly throwing an arm across her shoulders. "You dream about being a demon bastard, so what? What does it matter as long as I know that you're always mine?"

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

I was the worst.

I couldn't think of anything else as I lay in Jacob's arms. Everyone, except for Shippou and Kirara, had gone out of the hut, why, I wasn't quite sure...

Sighing, I snuggled closer to Jacob, feeling his warmth. I opened my eyes. He was asleep, his face relaxed.

I'm so sorry Jake.

Emmet's words from earlier in the day came back, brushing across the surface of my mind...

"_Watch out Jake...she finds that demon appealing...I may be a guy, but even I know when there's danger..."_

Was Jacob jealous? Of Sesshoumaru? It wasn't that Jake had been showing any signs of jealousy, it was just that...after everything I've gone through in the two or so days that I'd been here...

Why am I even thinking about Jake being jealous? He has no reason to be. Just because I found Sesshoumaru appealing, doesn't mean that my...desire for him leads to emotions.

I carefully placed a finger on Jacob's forehead and giggled as he let out a loud snore. "Love you, Jake," I whispered.

"So what do we do now, Edward?"

Huh? The voice belonged to Jasper, and it came from outside the hut, where everyone was. I automatically kept very still, trying not to make even the smallest of noises.

"Should we leave?" Rosalie asked.

There was silence, during which a loud slap resounded throughout the forest. Urgh, Miroku being perverted again...

"No." I wasn't the only surprised at Edward's negation.

"Why not?" Rosalie asked. "After everything we've gone through in the last two days, we won't leave? Think about Ness...Being here isn't good for her."

"It's because of Ness that we aren't leaving yet."

Because of me...? "Ness," Edward went on. "Would you like to be part of this discussion?" He didn't need to raise his voice. Thanks to Sesshoumaru's blood, I would've known what he was saying even if he was whispering a hundred yards away. "She's awake," he explained to the others.

Sometimes it can get pretty annoying when your father knows how to read your head. I heard him chuckle lightly.

"What's so funny?" Surprisingly, it was Inuyasha who asked.

"It doesn't concern you," Edward said. Hm...he didn't sound the least bit hostile.

"Ness, are you awake?" Bella this time.

Yes, mom, I thought, knowing Edward would tell her. And yes, dad, I will be a part of this discussion...which is about what, precisely?

"We're debating on whether or not to go back to the present," Edward said.

Let me get this straight...everyone's said 'aye' to going back to Tokyo, but you're the only one who voted 'nay'?

"That's about right," he confirmed.

"What's she saying?" Kagome asked, intrigued.

"One-way communication is such a hassle," Emmett muttered. "Ness, why don't you come out?"

Can't...I might wake Jake.

"She can't because she might wake Jacob," Edward said, sighing.

"I'm surprised that dog isn't awake yet," Rosalie said.

"He isn't a dog, he's a mangy wolf," Inuyasha muttered. I automatically felt a surge of annoyance. How dare he call Jake 'mangy'?

"I forgot that you're what a dog should be," Rosalie said. "Stubborn, crude, and obstinate...but then again, not all dogs are like that, right? It's only you."

"Why you...!"

Yeesh, people, give it a rest, I thought. Can we please get back to the topic before the sun rises?

"Right." Edward's voice easily overrode the ruckus. "Yes, Ness, I don't think we should leave just yet."

Why?

"Because we don't know what that bastard's blood will do to you."

"I think it's best if we leave, Edward." Uh-oh. When Bella commands, Edward obeys.

There was a very pregnant pause. "But love, it's best if we stay here, where there are people who are knowledgeable about...demons." Wow...was he actually going to say 'no' to her?

"So far nothing has happened to Renesmee, aside from having heightened senses," Bella said. "Edward, it's just that I'm worried about her—I want to take her away from all this danger!"

"She does have a point," Alice said.

Edward was silent. And then he let out a sigh. "Kagome...do you think Sesshoumaru's blood will continue to manifest itself?" he asked.

"Eh? Um...I'm not really sure," Kagome said. "We asked Myouga but, as you know, he doesn't know the effects either."

"If we can be certain that there will be no more adverse effects, then we can leave."

"But no one knows!" Sango's voice interjected. "This case is strange, because no one in this country has ever heard of a vampire until now, much less a half-vampire...more so if that half-vampire gorged on the blood of a demon like Sesshoumaru!" I cringed at the guilt her statement provoked.

"Can you please be a little more tact?" Edward asked.

I don't mind. "Wait a minute..." Kagome again. "I think...I know who _might_ know."

"Who?" Everyone asked.

"No!" Edward snarled, picking the answer straight from her head. "Are you _insane_?"

Huh? What was Kagome thinking?

"Listen!" she said. "When he saw you, he immediately knew you for what you were! He didn't even think that you guys were _nukekubi_! He knew that you guys are vampires! Don't you think it's possible that he might know something about this?"

Oh, hell no.

Was Kagome suggesting what I think she was suggesting?

"Yes, Ness," Edward said quietly. "She thinks we should ask Sesshoumaru."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This was crazy.

More than crazy, it was insanely inane...

Nonetheless, it can't be helped.

The next morning found me, Jake, Edward, Bella, and Kagome and her friends in the same forest where we had seen Sesshoumaru the last time, during that fight with Naraku. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett decided to go on ahead to the well to wait for us...

Us, who would be looking for Sesshoumaru, my super massive black hole. It had taken Kagome a good part of the night and practically the whole morning to convince Edward that Sesshoumaru would probably know something about vampires. Edward had been relentless about looking for him, of all people. It was only after Inuyasha—fed up with Kagome's reasoning and Edward's adamant refusal—swore that he'd hack down Sesshoumaru if he tried to harm me that Edward, albeit grudgingly, had finally agreed to look for the stoic demon lord.

Jake, however, was another matter.

He was completely against us looking for Sesshoumaru.

"That demon bastard punched a hole through her gut! And you guys wanna _look _for him?! _What the hell_?!" Jacob had screamed.

Jacob, who was now walking beside me, looking both murderous and angry. "Of all the people..." he muttered. I felt a start of guilt. Jacob _hated _Sesshoumaru. Or maybe the more appropriate term would be _loathed_? Why was I so guilty? Because I wasn't doing anything to stop them from going to Sesshoumaru. The truth of it was...I could have stayed behind, with Jake, but I didn't want...no, I _couldn't _stay behind...

And I didn't know why...

"_You are _exactly _my brand of heroine."_

Edward had once said that to Bella...

Could the same apply to _him_, only on a more unromantic scale? Was I so addicted to _his_ scent that I'd risk seeing him just to...

Before I could finish my train of thought, I felt a hand on my arm. "Edward!" I gasped, his grip being tighter than normal.

"Come with me, Ness," he said calmly, steering me towards a clump of trees.

"Edward?" Bella asked.

"Edward, what's up?" my Jake called.

"Go on, Renesmee and I will catch up." I could feel Jake and everyone else's eyes on our retreating backs. What did Edward...?

Oh, damn. He heard what I was thinking!

"You bet I did," Edward said quietly as he led me through the trees, their tops rustling quietly in the breeze. "Come on, let's run...I don't want anyone to hear what I have to say to you." Without further ado, he darted into the trees, like a graceful bullet, only he was faster.

Great, now what? I couldn't think of anything else as I ran beside him. It wasn't difficult to keep pace with him, thanks to Sesshoumaur...I shook my head at that thought. Edward didn't say anything as we ran, which made think that he was angry...

After a few minutes of aimless running, we finally came to a stop.

Edward was silent, his gaze fixed on the treetops, a faraway—almost reminiscent—look in his golden eyes. I could feel my heart thudding in my chest. My father had never chastised me before, never been mad at me...

When he turned to me, the look in his eyes was unreadable. "_Renesmee Carlie Cullen_," he said. Uh-oh...saying and emphasizing each syllable of my full name did not bode well. It seemed ominous.

"Yes...Edward Cullen?" I asked, trying to be funny, which was quite useless as I was just hopeless when it came to jokes.

True enough, Edward did not laugh, heck, his eyes didn't even twinkle. I inwardly sighed. Why was it that it was only Jake who guffawed at my most corny jokes?

"I heard what you were thinking," he said. "And I need to know—are you, for want of a better word, _addicted _to him?"

I blushed. Oh, lord...obsessed was bad, but _addicted_! "No..." I said, my voice trailing off.

"Renesmee, perhaps you're forgetting that you're mind is an open book for me?"

I sighed. "I am not...addicted," I said. "I mean...I don't even know him, for Jake's sake!"

"Ah," Edward said. "Jake...Renesmee, both you and I know that you want that scent...I should know. I've gone through that with your mother."

Of course. "The truth is..." I said, crumbling underneath his solicitous gaze. "I...am not sure...if I'm...addicted...not sure at all..."

"Think about Jacob...think what this does to him."

"What?"

He sighed. "Ness, Ness...Even though Jacob is your...soul mate, even though he knows that, platonic aside, you love only him...he's still jealous."

I gaped at him, pretty sure I resembled a half-vampire fish whose mouth was agape. "Jealous?" I asked. "Of...Sesshoumaru? Good grief! I knew men were obstinate but...why the heck would be jealous of someone who not only punched a hole through my gut"—Edward cringed—"but who also happens to be a complete _stranger_?"

He was silent. "That's just the way he's thinking," he said. "That's just the way...men are. Men are very protective of what's important to them."

Please, _please_, don't let him start a monologue on all the qualities of the xy chromosome. Edward smiled. "Fine, I'll spare you the next five sentences." He chuckled, but then he turned serious again. "But Renesmee...addiction isn't healthy...especially if the cause is a demon who goes by the name of 'Killing Perfection'."

I huffed. "I. Am. Not. Addicted to that effeminate demon!"

He smiled. "Good," he said. "However...I think it's best if you go back, follow our scent to the hut, then follow Jasper and Alice's scent, and catch up with them at the Bone Eater's Well."

"What?" I asked. "Dad, no! Jake...!"

"Ness," he enunciated. "Turn, go back—it's best for you."

"Dad, Sesshoumaru isn't someone I should be afraid of! Besides...I can handle it." Handle it? Was I even sure I could handle that scent without me going berserk again? But I set that doubt aside. _Of course _I could handle it, if I put my mind to it.

"Mind over matter," Edward said quietly, a faraway look in his eyes once more. He sighed. "No," he said. "I've gone through that with Bella, and I know how hard it can be to hold back. The only thing that stopped me from killing her"—he cringed again—"was my love for her. And I doubt that you love Sesshoumaru now, do you?"

"Of course not!" I said indignantly.

"Then nothing's stopping you from pouncing."

"My instinct for self-preservation. You didn't have to worry about your life with mom, did you?" I pointed out.

"Your instinct for self-preservation didn't stop you from giving in the last time, did it?" Edward raised an eyebrow coolly at me.

Point well taken. "Dad..."

"Go, Ness," he said, turning his back on me. "Go back. Now."

His tone left no room for argument.

"Fine," I muttered, turning my back on his. "But you'd better tell Jake where I went!"

I didn't wait for his answer as I darted into the forest.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I ran back towards the old hut in record time. Alice's scent still hovered strongly in the air, a trail of it going north. I sighed as I followed her scent, the green of the forest whipping past me, the wind my hair. I hated running alone. When I ran, it was usually with Jake...

Would Edward tell him where I was headed? Would Jake come after me? I hoped so. I continued running through the forest, avoiding obstructions such as trees, but I didn't bother with the bushes, which, I'm sorry to say, were reduced to nothing but twigs as I ran through them.

I let out another sigh as I thought about what Edward said.

Addicted, he said. I _wasn't _addicted...

Addiction: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal, according to Carlisle.

Hm…

Did I have a 'compulsive need' for his blood? No…?

Argh! What was I thinking? Pay attention to where you're going, Renesmee…

"Argh!"

I skidded to a halt and, before I knew what I was doing, I dived into the bushes the moment I heard the childish shriek pierce the stillness of the forest. Now what?

I hid quietly in the bushes, parting the leaves slightly with my hand. I could hear screaming—a child was screaming, chased by something that made loud thuds on the earth as it ran…

"Argh!"

My eyes widened in shock as the wind blew gently across me, bringing the child's scent with it. It was familiar…very familiar…

"Master Jaken, help me!"

Of course! It was that girl, Rin!

Wait a minute…wasn't she with…?

Before I could finish this unwanted train of thought, Rin burst through the bushes a few yards away from where I was hiding. She was out of breath, her face scratched and flushed, her hands and arms…bleeding (I tried to ignore the thirst, which I managed with success).

She stumbled on a tree root, falling face first on the ground. What was chasing…?

I didn't have to ask. A second later, a hideous…pig…burst through the bushes, brandishing what appeared to be an ax, and wearing armor.

My eyebrow twitched. A bipedal pig, wielding an axe, wearing armor, and foaming at the mouth? This Era just kept getting weirder and weirder…

"Master Jaken!" Rin shrieked as she stood up and backed away from the demon pig, her eyes wide with fear.

Oh, right! Rin!

"Hey, piggy!" I shouted, stepping through the bushes.

The pig stopped in its tracks. Both it and Rin turned to look at me. The little girl's eyes widened with recognition. "Miss Ness!" she shouted…delighted?

The pig stared at me, its red eyes narrowed. Okay…it looked fierce. It slowly turned away from Rin and made its way towards me.

Crap! A tiny part of my vampire mind reminded me that I was a half-vampire, not just a half-vampire, but a half-vampire who had just gorged on the blood of a great demon. I could take that pig on anytime. However, that was just a tiny part of my mind—the greater part of my concupiscence was preoccupied with the demon pig that was slowly making its way towards me.

I clenched my fists in a determined way. Why should I run? All my life, I'd always been protected, surrounded by my vampire family (as well as my human chief of police grandfather, Charlie), and werewolf friends. I'd never had to fend for myself, secure as I was.

But…

Did I really want to be so secure all the time, always depending on others? Sometimes, I wanted to do things for myself, but oftentimes, I found it impossible, what with my vampire family and Jake always hovering around. Not that I found them annoying, it's just that, I wanted to be a little more…independent.

I was jarred out of my thoughts by the demon pig that was growling at me. Wait, did pigs even _growl_? It took another step towards me, but I kept firm. I was pretty certain vampire skin was harder than that rusty old axe it was carrying, but…

It still looked scary!

C'mon Ness, be firm!

It growled at me, and I growled at it in earnest, my voice harsher than was intended. It suddenly stopped in its tracks. I saw its nostrils flare, sniffing the air, no doubt. And then, unbelievably, it turned tail and ran into the bushes.

I stood there, blinking like an idiot. What just happened?

And then, I knew. A second later, the wind blew towards me…

Then and there, I thought I would go mad. It was _his _scent! I slowly turned around and, sure enough, there he stood, hidden in the shadow of the trees…

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin cried out, joyful.

Shoot. How ironic—Edward sends me away so I wouldn't have to run into Sesshoumaru, and lo! Speak of the demon…

I felt it then. The madness that threatened to take hold of me. The fire burned painfully in my throat, spreading throughout my body, taking control of it…

"You." Sesshoumaru stepped out of the shadows, his golden eyes narrowed menacingly at me.

The fire was spreading, burning…

I wanted to lunge, I _wanted _him!

NO!

If I attacked him, and he killed me, Jake would be so devastated!

Sesshoumaru took out his sword, and Rin's eyes widened as I crouched down, ready to spring, my mind completely overwhelmed by the flame. I growled at him, and he narrowed his eyes at me.

Think of Jacob! THINK OF JACOB!

Jake would suffer if I died…and I did not want him to suffer!

Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, JAKE!

The thought spread throughout my mind and body like water, pushing the fiery thirst back to my throat. Keep calm, keep calm, keep calm. I could do this, like Edward. I could keep the thirst in check, because I wasn't a _monster_!

"Miss Ness?" Rin's voice.

Huh? I blinked. I was…kneeling on the ground, both hands on my head, my eyes shut tight. Eh? I didn't even notice…

But what I did notice was Sesshoumaru still staring at me, with those cold, fierce eyes. I looked up at him. I could feel the fire threatening to spread again.

No way.

I wouldn't give in!

I could do this. Slowly I stood up, the wind whipping gently passed me. My arms and legs were trembling. I took a breath, which was so wrong, because a second later, the flames raged again.

NO…

As I looked at Sesshoumaru, I fought it down, fought down the irresistible need, the overwhelming desire for this demon that threatened to take hold of me.

He was still staring at me, sword pointed at me.

It was then I realized that I was a goner, unless I did something…

"Hi!" I said brightly. Okaaay…I swallowed as the thirst threatened to take hold of me again. "You're…Sesshoumaru, aren't you?"

He didn't answer. He just stood there, glaring at me, like the demon dog that he was. "My name's…"

"Renesmee," he interjected coldly. He took another step towards me, sword pointed straight at my heart.

I could feel my heart thudding erratically in my chest. He wanted to kill me, obviously! A part of my mind warned me to bolt for it, and I was seriously considering, until Rin spoke up.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, please don't harm her," the little girl pleaded, running in front of me. "She saved me!"

Actually, I think it was Sesshoumaru and his threatening presence that saved her, but I didn't trust myself to speak.

"Rin, step aside," he ordered.

Rin hesitated. I gently nudged her aside. She shouldn't get involved in this. "Go on, do as your told," I murmured to her.

She looked up at me, then at Sesshoumaru. She stepped aside. It was just me and him now, and I knew that I had to do something, but if I ran, I thought he'd chase me then kill me. Jake, where are you?

"About what happened," I began, one foot unconsciously moving backward, ready to bolt for it. "About me…biting you…" He glared. "That was…unintentional…and I'm sorry…" Lord, what could I have looked like, I wonder?

He still glared. "So, why don't we let bygones be bygones?" I asked, trying to fake a smile. It was hard to do, what with the burning rage in my throat…What the hell was I still doing here anyway?

He took a step towards me. Gah! Bolt for it, Ness!

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin!"

Eh? Both Sesshoumaru and I turned towards the rustling bushes and, a second later, that little green guy, Jaken burst through the bushes, shaking his head. "Rin! Thank goodness I've found…!" He blinked, taking in the scene before him—Sesshoumaru pointing his sword at my heart. "It's you! Kill her, Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Master Jaken!" Rin snapped. I surprised myself by giggling at her imperious tone.

They all stared at me, save for Sesshoumaru who was glaring at me. "Sorry," I muttered, flushing.

Sesshoumaru glared and then, miraculously, he slowly lowered his sword. My eyes widened as he sheathed it, and then he turned his back on me. It was then that the thirst raged. His back was turned, how stupid of him…

NO! I automatically stopped that train of thought. I could control it…

"Leave." Huh? Sesshoumaru's cold voice whipped me out of my internal struggle. I looked up at to see him walking into the trees. "The next time, I won't be so magnanimous."

Who needs your magnanimity anyway? Oh, wait…don't answer.

"Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru, wait for me!" Rin shouted as she dashed after him. She suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Miss Ness? Thanks for saving me," she said, beaming.

I smiled tentatively at her. "I didn't really save you," I said. "It was actually Sesshoumaru." Him, and that death glare of his. She continued to smile, so I went on. "Do you want me to help you with those cuts?" I asked.

She shook her head. "It's fine! Besides, I have to leave before…Lord Sesshoumaru, wait for me!" Without further ado, she turned and ran into the forest, running after him, with Jaken at her heels.

A few moments passed as I stood there, and then, I slowly smiled. I had managed it; I had managed to control myself! Sure, I had forgotten to ask him about vampires and demon blood, but hey?

I felt elation building as I, too, turned and ran to the opposite direction, towards the Bone Eater's Well, where Alice and everyone else waited.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: yay, I'm done!**

**Alice: you're happy about finishing a chapter? I'd be happy if I got that Dior Couture black coat with the…**

**A1969: excuse her. She's just upset because Bella didn't let her buy it.**

**Bella: honestly…thousands of dollars on a coat?**

**Kagome: -speechless-**

**Inuyasha: what's a…daiyour?**

**A1969: never mind. Anyway, thanks to those who read and reviewed! Hope you guys review!**


	12. Simultaneous

**Alice: a new chapter...but still no new coat!**

**Bella: Alice...don't you think you're going a little too overboard? It is just a coat, after all...**

**Alice: it's not just **_**a**_** coat, Bella! It was **_**the**_** coat!**

**A1969: excuse her...she's not over her Dior coat yet.**

**Kagome: poor girl...she looks depressed.**

**Bella: it'll go away.**

**A1969: anyway, thanks to those who read and reviewed the previous chapter! Sorry about being so tardy, guys. I've literally drowned in school work.**

**Inuyash: then why are you still alive?**

**A1969: whatever. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**-o-Chapter Twelve-o-**

**-Simultaneous-**

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

I still can't believe that I'd done it!

It was still so hard to believe that I'd managed to suppress the raging thirst I'd felt...wait till Edward hears about this! I was still exuberant as I made my way towards the Bone Eaters' well. I knew my exuberance was somewhat exaggerated, but I just couldn't help it! I mean, I just managed to overcome my desire, sort of like a heroin addict turning down the drug—that should amount to something!

"Ness?" Rosalie asked, when I got to the clearing. She and Emmett were lounging near the well, while Alice and Jasper were basking underneath the shadow of a few trees. The moment I arrived, they automatically surrounded me. "Why are you here? Where're Edward and the others?"

"Did you find Sesshoumaru?" Jasper asked.

I blinked. "Yeah," I admitted.

"And?" Jasper asked. "Did he say anything about...?"

I flushed and looked down. "Well," I said hesitantly. "It was like this...Edward sent me back with you guys, because he thought it would be better for me...and then...on my way here, I ran into Sesshoumaru."

All the vampires looked at me, their eyes narrowed. "And you're still alive," Jasper said, nodding. Alice whacked him on the head, her blow resounding like a falling tree. "Which is good," he added.

"It's a miracle you got away from him unscathed!" Rosalie said. There was genuine worry in her eyes.

I shrugged. "Well...I sort of...resisted."

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "You resisted...?" There was a faraway look in his eyes, and Alice wrapped an arm comfortingly around his shoulders. I felt uneasy. Jasper—as everyone knew—always had problems with our special diet, more so since he had met Kagome.

"It wasn't easy," I reassured him. "Nearly killed me to do it."

Emmett laughed, and the others slowly joined in. "Anyway," Rosalie said once they had quieted down. "Edward and the others are out looking for Sesshoumaru, unaware that you found him. Very good, Renesmee."

"Is it just me, or does Ness seem to have a knack for attracting trouble?" Emmett muttered. "First, the Volturi, now demons...Yeesh, you take after Bella!" Rosalie hit him unceremoniously on the head, her eyes narrowed.

I felt guilty. Well...it wasn't my fault that my luck turned out to be as bad as mom's when she was still a human...

"Enough of this!" Jasper said. "Come on, Emmett—let's go find Edward and the others and tell them about Ness's little run in." He turned to Alice. "Will you be alright?"

"Of course!" she pouted. "Just make sure _you_ will take care."

Jasper nodded once. "Can you see where Edward and the others might be?"

Alice grimaced. "I can't—thanks to Inuyasha and his demon friends."

Jasper nodded again before turning to dart into the forest, Emmett following closely behind him.

"So Ness—how was it?" Alice asked, perching herself on the well, her eyes fixed intently on me.

I sighed and sat beside the well, leaning my back against the wood. "Hard," I muttered, remembering my earlier confrontation with Sesshoumaru. "More than hard—it was unbearably _excruciating_."

Rosalie clicked her tongue as she sat down next to me. "How did you restrain yourself?" It was no surprise that she'd ask. After all, she'd never met anyone who appealed to her like Sesshoumaru appealed to me.

I looked up at the afternoon sky, just as a sparrow darted overhead. It was a moment before I answered her question. "It was because of Jake, actually."

Alice looked down at me, directly meeting my gaze, and blocking my view of the sky. "How'd the dog help?" she wondered.

"I kept thinking...if I died, Jake would be despondent. I didn't want that," I explained. "Knowing Jake would depressed...I wanted to protect him from that kind of sadness, so I forced myself to think of Jake while I was with Sesshoumaru."

"It seems that dog has his uses after all," Rosalie muttered, somewhat grudgingly.

"You know, you never really did tell us what Sesshoumaru said about his blood," Alice said.

"I'm sure it would have been an interesting conversation."

Rosalie and Alice were suddenly in front of me in half a second flat. I was suddenly on my feet, my mind racing. He was unexpected. We had no warning, not even of his scent and of his footsteps. Silent as a shadow, and just as menacing.

"You," Alice and Rosalie growled in unison.

My pulse raced as a familiar figure emerged from the shadow of the trees through which Emmett and Jasper had vanished earlier. A figure I'd come to be frightened of...

"Naraku," I said.

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"Still no sign of that dratted Sesshoumaru anywhere!" Inuyasha complained.

I sighed. It had been the...eighth or ninth time that he had complained. I wasn't quite sure anymore. Inuyasha was walking beside me, his arms crossed, a scowl on his face. In front of us were Miroku and Sango, both of whom appeared humoured at Inuyasha's flustered expression. Behind us were Edward and Bella. Jacob, when he had learned that Edward had sent Ness to the Well, immediately left in order to be where Ness was.

"Try sniffing him out, why don't you?" I offered.

Inuyasha exhaled. "You don't think I've tried that?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "You do realize there're times when he just feels like hiding?"

"Hiding?" Edward scoffed. "Is he a coward that he'd have to hide?" There was pure resentment in his voice.

It was Miroku who sort of defended Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru rarely hides," he said, glancing behind him at Edward. "What Inuyasha referred to was Sesshoumaru hiding both his scent and his aura...sealing it away, if you will, to gain the element of surprise."

Edward and Bella glanced at each other. "Hiding both his scent and his presence," Edward muttered. Bella said nothing.

We fell quiet as we continued trekking through the forest. The trees grew denser, sunlight filtering through the canopy and casting shadows around us. Hidden among the leaves of the trees were sparrows, their incessant twittering the only sound in the forest.

"Why don't we split up?" Shippou, perched on my shoulder, offered. "I mean, Inuyasha doesn't look as though he can stand it anymore."

"Eh?" I looked at Inuyasha. He was wrinkling his nose, which was slightly reddened. "Do you...have a cold?" I felt incredulous.

"Demons don't get sick," Inuyasha snapped. "But _something_ stinks back here!" He glanced pointedly behind him, at Edward and Bella, both of whom chuckled. Strange, Edward and Bella smelled wonderful. To me, at least.

"You don't smell any better, dog," Edward pointed out. "Which is why we aren't breathing." Now that I looked closely at them, their chests didn't appear to be moving.

"Um, how long can you hold you breaths?" I dared to ask.

"Indefinitely," Bella said, shrugging as though it was no big deal. I tried not to let the no breathing thing creep me out. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly. "You know, we really should split up. It's been three hours since we started looking, and still no sign of Sesshoumaru."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" a sneering voice asked.

I gasped and looked up. Hakudoshi and Kagura were hovering high above us, both enclosed in the former's barrier. Hakudoshi was mounted on Entei, while Kagura rode on her feather.

"Hakudoshi!" Inuyasha snarled.

Hakudoshi chuckled. "Yo, Inuyasha," he sneered, his lavender eyes fixed solely on Inuyasha.

"Who are they?" Bella asked.

"Hakudoshi and Kagura," I answered, without looking at her. "They're two of Naraku's incarnations."

Both vampires were silent, their piercing amber eyes fixed on the duo. "Oh?" Hakudoshi said, sounding amused, his eyes focused on Edward and Bella. "These your new friends, Inuyasha?" He chuckled. "Naraku was right."

"What's your business this time, Hakudoshi?" Miroku demanded, stepping forward, tensed and ready.

"We're here to get the Sacred Jewel shard, of course," Hakudoshi said. "That much should be obvious, monk." I reflexively took a step back. I could feel the weight of the diamond that housed the Sacred Jewel shard in my pocket.

Inuyasha drew out his Tessaiga. "Well, you can't have it!" So saying, he unleashed Adamant Barrage at Hakudoshi. Spears of adamant shot towards Hakudoshi and Kagura. There was a loud boom accompanied by a flash of light as the spears of adamant rammed into Hakudoshi's barrier, obliterating it.

"What?!" Inuyasha shouted. Hakudoshi's barrier was still intact!

"Impossible!" Miroku exclaimed.

"Inuayasha's Adamant Barrage should have destroyed Hakudoshi's barrier!" Sango yelled.

"Effective," Edward said sarcastically.

Inuyasha turned to him, rage in his eyes. "Shut up!" he snapped, turning his attention back to Hakudoshi and Kagura.

"Did you honestly think that, with your new friends, Naraku would send us without aid?" Hakudoshi grinned and hand his palm to reveal a stone sized, diamond resting on his palm. It wasn't the fragment of diamond that caught everyone's attention—it was what inside the diamond.

"That's...!" Miroku exclaimed, too overwhelmed to finish his own sentence.

My own eyes widened in shock. Inside the diamond, was a Sacred Jewel shard!

A Sacred Jewel shard...within the diamond? Like the one I had with me...How? Why? What did this mean? What were these diamonds that encased the Sacred Jewel shards? And how did Hakudoshi...no, how did Naraku come by one? The questions were suddenly endless...

"Well, Inuyasha?" Hakudoshi said, tucking the shard into his sleeve. "Hand over your jewel shard. If you don't...heh, well, you'll only be prolonging your agony."

"Come and get it!" Inuyasha shouted. He suddenly lunged into the air, his Tessaiga aimed at Hakudoshi's barrier.

"Heh." Hakudoshi grinned and parried Inuyasha's Tessaiga with his naginata, which phased through his barrier. There was a clang of steel on steel as Tessaiga and the naginata clashed, sending sparks into the air. Entei whinnied, hoping to aid his master in the fight, but didn't dare, not without the white child's permission. "Kagura!" Hakudoshi ordered as another clang echoed throughout the forest. "Take care of them!"

"With pleasure." Kagura grinned and opened her fan, her red eyes glinting maliciously. "Dance of Blades!"

"Watch out!" Sango and Miroku both jumped back to avoid the blast of deadly wind that Kagura unleashed.

Two cold hands suddenly grabbed my shoulders. "Hold on to me." It was Bella. She scooped me into her stone arms and jumped back, away from Kagura's attack. Whoa! In a fraction of a second, Bella landed on the opposite end of the wide clearing and was already depositing me on the ground.

I was going to be sick. That was fast—faster than Inuyasha, even. "You stay here!" Bella said. I knew she was just concerned for my safety, but I couldn't help it—I felt annoyed. She didn't think I knew how to fight, did she? Not wanting to argue, though, I only nodded and watched as Bella sped back towards where the battle raged the most.

Hakudoshi and Inuyasha were still fighting, their weapons clashing vigorously. "Entei!" Hakudoshi said. A second later, the white child leapt off his horse, towards the ground. He exchanged blows with Inuyasha as he landed on the forest floor, his barrier protecting him from Tessaiga. Their blades continued clashing, neither side backing down.

I turned my gaze towards Miroku, Sango, Bella and Edward. The four of them were taking Kagura head on. You'd have thought that they would have taken her down easily, but that wasn't the case—she was hovering in midair, enclosed in a stationary barrier of Hakudoshi's. Hm...Since when did Hakudoshi care enough for Kagura to create another barrier to protect her?

"Dance of Blades!" Kagura shouted. Like Hakudoshi's naginata, her attack went through the barrier, towards Miroku and the others. They easily dodged the wind blades.

"Kirara!" Sango shouted. With a burst of flame, Kirara jumped off Sango's shoulder and transformed. Sango and Miroku mounted her and she flew into the air, towards Kagura.

"Pests!" she hissed. "Dance of the Dragon!"

Miroku and Sango wove their way through the tornadoes that threatened to hit them. "Watch out!" I shouted at Edward and Bella. Kagura's tornadoes were heading right for them!

Edward and Bella glanced at each other and nodded. What the hell?! Weren't they going to dodge...? My mouth was agape as I saw the tornadoes close in on them, but they held their ground.

"Edward, Bella!" I shouted. They held their ground, and were immediately swallowed up by the tornadoes.

"No!" Miroku shouted, his eyes on the swirling vortex.

Kagura laughed. "Arrogant fools! Nothing can withstand the wind...!" Before she could finish her sentence, two white blurs shot from the tornadoes towards her. The blurs rammed into her barrier without effect and fell to the ground.

"We've seen worse," Edward pointed out, glaring up at Kagura as he and Bella landed gracefully on the ground.

"They're...alright," Sango said, sounding somewhat awed.

"Watch out!" Bella warned.

Entei flew behind Sango and Miroku, flames puffing from his nostrils. The demon horse let out a loud whinny and unleashed a jet of flame towards Miroku and Sango. "Kirara!" Sango shouted. Kirara quickly flew higher to dodge the flame. Entei chased them, firing jets of flame at them.

"And just where do you think you're looking?" Kagura taunted as sent more of her wind blades at Edward and Bella. Both vampires easily dodged Kagura's attack. Edward suddenly shot towards Kagura, ramming hard against the barrier that protected her. He was repelled by the barrier and flew through the air, falling gracefully to the ground on both feet.

"That barrier's hard," Edward muttered.

Kagura laughed. "Fools!" she snapped. "Do you think you can break through this barrier? Don't make me laugh!"

Something told me it was time to help. I set down Shippou, who clung to my leg for dear life. I notched an arrow to my bow and pointed it straight at Kagura's barrier, praying that it would be enough to weaken it. Spiritual energy flowed from me to the arrow, giving it a light purple glow.

"Kagura!" I shouted.

They turned their attention to me. I released the arrow and it sped towards the barrier. There was a brilliant flash of light as the arrow struck the barrier. The barrier wavered but, to my dismay, it did not vanish. Guess I wasn't strong enough...

"Now!" Edward suddenly lunged towards the wavering barrier. The moment he came into contact with the barrier, the barrier shattered, reminding me of the moment when I had shattered the Sacred Jewel with my arrow...

"You got her!" Shippou cheered as Kagura's barrier completely vanished, leaving her unprotected.

Kagura grimaced, her glare directed at me. "You meddlesome fool!" she snarled. "Dance of Blades!"

My eyes widened as her wind blades screeched towards me. Panic overwhelmed reason and I rolled to one side to dodge the wind blades, scratching my cheek as I hit the ground. "Leave her alone!" Edward and Bell both jumped towards her, their vampire strength propelling them like graceful bullets towards the stunned wind witch. Kagura willed her feather higher, and it was by a hairsbreadth that Edward and Bella missed her. Both vampires landed gracefully back on the ground, their amber gazes fixed on Kagura.

Kagura, whose own red gaze was still fixed on me. "Dance of the Dragon!" she screeched. I gasped as her tornadoes sped towards me. There was no way I could dodge that...Instinct told me to fire a purifying arrow at the wind, but, like earlier, panic overrode reason and my hands stayed frozen at my side...

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted. But he couldn't reach me—Hakudoshi was still keeping him busy...

"Kagome!" Miroku, Sango...Even Edward and Bella...

And then, the ground vanished beneath me.

I felt a pair of cold arms scoop me off the ground, cold arms that leapt with blinding and nauseating speed into the air, towards the other side of the clearing, away from Kagura's tornadoes which tore at the trees...

But both Edward and Bella were standing at the opposite end of the clearing, their eyes fixed with surprise on me and my savior, whose arms still held me close to him. I looked up. Surprise and shock coursed through me.

Amber eyes looked down at me with concern. "You alright?" he asked.

"Jasper!"

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

Naraku's smirk grew as he stepped out of the shadows, his red eyes fixed solely on me.

"What do you want?" Rosalie snarled.

Naraku smirked, his gaze riveting from me to Rosalie. "That girl both of you protect," he said, his gaze fixed on her. "And, perhaps I shall take you as well." There was desire in his eyes.

Rosalie involuntarily cringed in disgust. But her disgust was nothing compared to what I was feeling.

Me.

Naraku had come for me. Why?

As though she had heard my thoughts, Alice spoke up. "What do you want with Renesmee?" she demanded, a protective glint in her eyes. I knew it would be difficult for Alice to fight without her ability to know her opponent's every move, so I hoped it wouldn't come to a fight...

Naraku chuckled. I heard never heard anyone, not even Aro, chuckle with so much _malice _in his voice. "Do you honestly think that I would impart that kind of information?" he asked, sounding amused.

Rosalie and Alice growled at him. "Ness," Alice said, switching to English, certain that Naraku couldn't understand. "When I say so, I want you to run, got it?"

I shook my head. "I'd never leave you two behind!"

Alice didn't argue. She looked back at Naraku, who regarded us with nothing but amusement in his eyes. He took a step towards us.

What happened next, happened in a blur. If it weren't for the fact that I was half-vampire, I would have missed it. The moment Naraku's foot hit the earth, Alice and Rosalie lunged towards him, appearing as nothing more than two blurs. Naraku smirked, held his arms out wide as a barrier materialized in front of him, protecting him from Rosalie and Alice. Alice and Rosalie rammed into the barrier, but instead of being repelled by the barrier, the barrier appeared to absorb them...

"Alice, Rosalie!" I shouted. Their fists, extended towards Naraku, were stuck in the barrier, as though they were being absorbed. What the heck?

Alice and Rosalie growled, trying with all their vampire might to draw their fists away from the barrier, but it was futile. Naraku chuckled, and to our surprise, he stepped out of his barrier.

"You think you're so invulnerable," Naraku said, approaching Rosalie. He smirked at her as she tried to claw at him with her other hand. "You think that with your inhuman strength and marble flesh that no one will be able to harm you." He leaned in towards Rosalie, his red eyes glinting with pure malice. "Well, it's time for you to discover that there are far stronger things on this land than you." He pulled away from her, and she looked at him with such hate in her eyes, that it made the usually beautiful Rosalie look...ugly.

Naraku smirked and moved away from them. His eyes landed on me.

"Ness, run!" Alice screeched, still struggling to free herself from the barrier.

Naraku grinned menacingly at me as he approached, his stride confident. "You keep away!" I snapped, taking a step back. Fear crept through me as he took another step towards me.

"I don't think you'll run," Naraku said, confident. "Not when your two dear aunts are with me."

He was right. I couldn't leave Alice and Rosalie, despite the fact that every fibre in my body was screaming for me to run.

"Ness, run!" Rosalie screamed, looking back at us from over her shoulder. "Don't mind us, we can take care of ourselves—just run!"

"And leave you two behind?!" Naraku was suddenly in front of me.

I squealed and my vampire instincts kicked in. I dodged his extended hand, leapt easily over him and landed behind Alice and Rosalie. "You idiot, run!" Rosalie snapped, still struggling to free herself from the barrier.

I grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her hand out of the barrier, but to no avail. "Stupid...thing!" I snarled. I suddenly felt something slimy wrap around my waist, drawing me away from Rosalie and towards Naraku.

"Ness!" Alice and Rosalie screamed as Naraku's tentacles drew me towards him.

"Let me go, you creep!" I snapped, struggling against the squishy tentacles that held me. Two more shot out from behind Naraku, grasping my wrists and preventing me from struggling.

"Let go of her!" Alice shouted. "What could she have that you would possibly want?!"

Naraku drew me close to him. So close that our noses were only inches away. "Aside from beauty?" he asked maliciously. "You have an ability that no one else does."

Was he referring to my ability to show others my thoughts? "I doubt I'd be useful!" I snarled, still thrashing. "Let me go!"

"Oh, you'll be useful," Naraku said, "very useful indeed." I had a sinking suspicion that there was a double meaning behind his words, a double meaning that I dare not even analyze.

Naraku chuckled. "Now, you're coming with me."

"No! Let me—!"

But before I could finish my sentence, a russet colored blur shot out of the forest and rammed hard against Naraku. Naraku's tentacles dropped me to the ground as he was thrown towards the trees. There was a loud groan as he crashed against a tree, making a few leaves fall to the ground.

A russet colored wolf stood protectively in front of me, growling menacingly at Naraku. "Jacob!" I exclaimed. Already, the feeling of safety enveloped me. Jake was here—we were saved.

"Just in the nick of time, dog!" Rosalie said. For once, she sounded thankful.

Naraku chuckled as he got to his feet, his red eyes fixed intently on Jacob. "So, this is your so-called protector," Naraku said.

Jacob growled at him, crouching low. To anyone else, a wolf the size of a bear would have paralyzed you on the spot, but for the demon Naraku...he only chuckled, seemingly amused by Jacob's show of bravado. I was suddenly worried for Jacob, and the sense of safety I'd felt earlier slowly evaporated as realization hit me.

Jacob—werewolf.

Naraku—demon.

"Jake, please be careful!" I pleaded.

He turned his great shaggy head to look at me. He snorted, as though my entreaty insulted him, then he turned his attention back to Naraku. Without warning, Jake lunged towards Naraku, his fangs bared. Naraku only grinned, not even bother to dodge. Jake rammed into him, sinking his fangs deep into Naraku's shoulder. Instead of the agonized cry Jake's bite inflicted, I only heard an amused chuckle coming from Naraku.

A second later Jake yelped in pain.

My eyes widened in horror and shock as miasma spewed from the wound Jake inflicted on Naraku. "Jake!" I screamed. Jake was thrown back by the miasma. He fell on the ground, his eyes closed and his legs twitching. He growled softly in agony.

"JACOB!" I screeched. He didn't respond—he was still twitching.

Something inside of me snapped.

Seeing Jacob writhing in pain on the ground awakened something inside of me, something I never felt before...

Rage. Pure rage.

How dare he harm Jacob?!

I suddenly found myself crouching down to my hunting position. I snarled at Naraku, suddenly feeling grateful for the sense of strength Sesshoumaru's blood gave me. His blood pulsed through my system and, despite being a small quantity, it gave me more strength than I could have possibly hoped for.

I felt powerful.

I growled at Naraku as I felt strength coursing through me. Naraku only regarded me with an amused smirk.

"Ness, run!" Alice shouted. I could still hear her struggling against the unyielding barrier.

"Hate me," Naraku jeered. "After all...my miasma will kill your dear Jacob."

My eyes widened and, for a second, I felt more than fearful. I threw a sideways glance at my Jake. He was still lying on the ground, his legs twitching feebly. Getting weaker.

"NO!" Before I could even think, I launched myself towards Naraku. I felt myself ram into his disgusting body, felt the soft splash of acidic miasma on me. Naraku was once again thrown back, but instead of crashing into the trees, he merely landed gracefully on his feet, a malicious smirk plastered on his face.

I growled as I slowly approached him, half-crouched like a vampire stalking her prey. Naraku chuckled again. "Do you feel hate coursing throughout your being, Renesmee?" he asked.

My only response was to growl at him. "Beautiful," he said. "The hate that I feel emanating from you is beautiful." Before I could decide that he was completely psycho, he drew something from the sleeve of his kimono, something small, black, incomplete...

"The Sacred Jewel desires your hatred," he said.

"SHUT UP!" I snarled as I threw myself at him with blinding speed. He only grinned. A small part of my mind asked why he wasn't even bothering to dodge me, but the major part of mind was fixed on one thing, and one thing only...

Kill the wretch that had dared to harm my Jacob.

As I launched myself at him, his tentacles suddenly shot out from behind and him towards me. With lightning speed I jumped over his tentacles, landed back on the ground, and continued to run towards him. I was consumed with the overwhelming desire for his blood in revenge...

More tentacles suddenly shot out from behind him. I stopped and slashed at them with my marble hands. Pieces of slimy tentacle fell at my feet, and I continued to charge towards Naraku.

Something suddenly wrapped around my ankle, something slimy...

I stopped in my tracks and glanced down. Pieces of the tentacles I had cut earlier had wrapped themselves around my jean covered legs, almost up to my knees. Naraku chuckled. "That's what I like about emotions," he said pleasantly as I realized, with horror, what the tentacles were doing. "They blind you, weaken you. And now, you will pay the price—my tentacles will absorb you."

"No!" Alice and Rosalie shrieked.

Pieces of tentacle suddenly leapt towards me, clinging to my arms. I swiped at them with my hands, easily prying them off. Pieces of tentacle fell into pieces on the ground...But the more I cut, the more clung to me, until I felt something different from the vengeful rage I'd felt earlier...

Fear.

These tentacles were going to absorb me...

I desperately cut at them, but the more I cut them, the more they clung.

Panic.

"Renesmee!" Alice and Rosalie shouted in unison. Tentacles clung to my neck, my arms, my legs, my face, obscuring my vision...and then...

Darkness.

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"Jasper?!"

I looked up at Jasper, who was looking down at me with a guarded expression. Jasper...he had saved me...

"You alright?" he asked again, as he set me down on the ground.

Stunned, I nodded at him. "Stay here!" he ordered as he and Emmett charged into the heat of the battle. Both Jasper and Emmett rushed to help Edward and Bella. I should have watched the fight, but I couldn't—I was far too stunned with what had happened to pay attention to the fight raging in front of me...

Jasper had saved me.

I had always thought of Jasper as different among the Cullens. Among the Cullens, he was the only one who had a hard time with staving off the desire for human blood, especially since he had met me. Every time he looked at me, I always had a feeling of danger, as though he was about to lunge at any second. I had thought—and this thought made me feel guilty—that Jasper was more of a...monster than the other Cullens...

I guess I was wrong.

"Adamant Barrage!" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Inuyasha's voice. I looked up just in time to see Inuyasha unleash a hoard of adamant at Hakudoshi, who only smirked and opened his arms wide, as though welcoming the onslaught.

The Adamant Barrage tore right through Hakudoshi, reducing him to nothing more than a head floating high above Inuyasha. He chuckled.

"Kagura, enough!" he said, looking towards Kagura. The wind witch was hovering high above the ground, making sure that there was enough height to separate her from Edward and the other Cullens.

What did he...mean?

A second later, we knew.

What happened next happened so fast, my human eyes were barely able to make sense of it. Edward glanced from Hakudoshi, his eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of the boy's words. A fraction of a second later, his eyes widened in shock, and he looked at Bella. Another fraction of a second later, he pushed her away from him with all his might.

Bella was nothing more than a blur as she was sent crashing into a majestic oak tree. The tree shuddered and, with a loud groan, it crashed into the other trees behind it. Indignation suddenly swept through me. Edward had harmed Bella...?

But that wasn't the case. A second after he had pushed Bella away, a pink barrier materialized around Edward, Emmett and Jasper, trapping them.

"Edward!" Bella shrieked, her bell voice escalating several octaves.

Hakudoshi chuckled as another barrier materialized around him and Kagura. Edward and the others struggled to break the barrier, but even with their combined vampire strength, it was useless.

"Let them go!" Inuyasha roared as Tessaiga was covered with adamant. "Adamant Barrage!"

Spears of adamant shot towards the barrier that held Edward and the others. There was a loud boom as the adamant crashed against the barrier...all to no avail.

"NO!" Bella launched herself towards the barrier, which proved a wasted effort. She crashed against the barrier and fell back to the ground, landing gracefully on her feet.

"Bella, don't!" Edward said, looking down at her from his prison.

"NO!" she shrieked.

My eyes suddenly widened. My arrows! I quickly notched an arrow to my bow, but before I could let the holy arrow fly, Hakudoshi's voice cut through the afternoon like a knife. "Entei, stop her!"

The fire demon horse, now safe within Hakudoshi's barrier, unleashed a jet of flame that phased through the barrier and towards me. My eyes widened in shock as I felt the heat of the flames hurtling towards me.

"Kagome!" Once again, the ground vanished beneath my feet. But the arms that held me weren't the cold arms of a vampire.

"Inuyasha!" I gasped as he landed lightly on the ground.

"Are you alright?" he asked, setting me down on my feet.

"Yes!" I gasped. "Quick! Help Edward and the others!"

Inuyasha sped towards the barrier, Tessaiga held at the ready. Miroku and Sango were trying fruitlessly to break the barrier.

"Not today, Inuyasha!" Hakudoshi sneered.

Miasma suddenly erupted from Hakudoshi's barrier, wrapping around his barrier as well as the barrier that held the Cullens.

"See ya, Inuyasha!" With a final sneer, the miasma swirled around the two barriers...

And then they were gone. Edward...Jasper...Emmett...gone. The clearing was filled with stunned silence, a silence that, seconds later, was broken only by the mournful voice of an angel in lament, a voice that seemed to pierce through me, a voice that was filled with pain.

"Edward!" Bella shrieked.

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

I was surrounded by nothing but darkness.

I was trapped, surrounded by Naraku's tentacles.

I could hear nothing. It was as though I had been placed in a sensory deprivation chamber—no sight, sound, smell, sensation...nothing. Nothing but darkness. I couldn't even _breathe._ Wait...I was wrong...I could feel...I could feel the sliminess of Naraku's tentacles as they tightened their hold on me. I could hear the pounding of my heart, fluttering like the wings of a humming bird.

My heart wasn't the only thing I heard.

Beyond the wall of flesh that encompassed me, I heard something else.

A low growl, and the sound of fleshy tentacles tearing...a second later...

Light!

I gasped for air as I fell through a tear in the tentacles. I felt myself fall to the ground, inhaling lungfuls of air. Something suddenly buried itself in my slime soaked hair.

"Jacob!" I gasped, as I turned my head. The great wolf placed its head lightly on mine, as though it wanted to embrace me. I could feel relief radiating off him.

"How sweet," Naraku sneered I shakily stood up. In the blink of an eye, Jacob was suddenly in front of me, growling at Naraku, his fur bristling in warning.

"Jacob, Renesmee—run!" Alice and Rosalie had both given up struggling against the barrier, and their eyes were fixed on us.

Jacob didn't move. He was still growling at Naraku. He suddenly turned his great head towards me, the message in his eyes all too clear.

"No way in hell am I leaving you behind!" I snapped.

He growled softly at me. "I'd never—Jake, watch out!"

Naraku's tentacles suddenly shot towards Jacob. The next thing I heard was a loud yelp as Jake was thrown off his feet and into the air. "Jacob!" I shrieked as he fell to the ground with a loud thud. The moment I heard that thud, it was as if my heart was slowly twisting in my chest...

"Jake!" I shrieked as I ran to him. I knelt beside him, not caring that Naraku was chuckling maniacally, that Alice and Rosalie were both screaming obscenities at Naraku. All I cared about was Jake.

Jake, who lay motionless on the ground. I placed my both my hands on his warm mane of fur. He was unconscious...No!!! Something like a little fall couldn't knock him unconscious...Jacob lay on the ground, his eyes closed, his tongue hanging out. His breathing...no!!! His breathing was...shallow, labored...

"What did you do to him?!" I shrieked looking at Naraku. I did not get up.

Naraku chuckled as he took a step towards us. "The miasma, of course," he said. In the background, I could hear Rosalie and Alice screaming at me to run away. But I couldn't run—the thought of leaving Jake was unendurable. "His life will be cut short—and so will yours."

Instead of tentacles, long pincer like bones burst from his back, heading with deadly speed towards me. "Ness!" Alice and Rosalie shrieked.

I closed my eyes and buried my face in Jacob's fur, ignoring my instinct to run. I couldn't run—not with Jacob...dying. If he was dying...if he would die...what was the point in living?

I could hear the whiz of air as Naraku's bones rushed towards me. These bones...I was sure they would be able to cut through my vampire flesh, pierce me.

I didn't care.

Jake was dying. If he died, I wanted to die, too...

"Renesmee, no!" Alice's voice...would that be the last thing I heard? I clenched Jake's fur tightly. Jake...we would be together, no matter what—even in death.

Another sound suddenly whizzed through the air. A hiss. The hiss of a blade being slashed through the air. A second later, there was a loud sound, as though knife was cutting through wood...

Death did not come.

"You!" I heard Naraku say.

Huh? Slowly, I raised my head off of Jake's fur, and looked up. My eyes widened in shock.

"Sesshoumaru?!" I gasped.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**A1969: I'm sorry if it isn't so long—it would have been longer, but I felt an irresistible urge to update.**

**Alice: speaking of urges...**

**A1969: drop it, Alice—the coat's gone. Someone else bought it already!**

**Alice: what?! NO! Who?! I'll...!**

**Bella: you wanna know who bought it?**

**Kagome: don't tell her!**

**Bella: of course not!**

**Alice: you're all horrid!**

**A1969: anyway...sorry for the late update! Hope you guys review!**


	13. Abducted and Absorbed

**Alice: -moping-**

**A1969: Alice—moping over a coat that was so last chapter is not you!**

**Alice: hm...true, it **_**was**_** from last chapter, anyway.**

**Kagome: you'll find a better one.**

**A1969: anyway, finally—an update! –claps-**

**Bella: I won't even bother to say how many months it's been—you'll just faint.**

**A1969: -sarcastically- thanks, Bella. You make me feel so much better, really you do. Anyway, thanks to those who read and reviewed the previous chapter!**

**Bella: I didn't mean it that way.**

**A1969: hmph! You'll have until the end of the chapter to figure out how to make amends. –evil grin- enjoy the chapter!**

**-o-Chapter Thirteen-o-  
-Abducted and Absorbed-**

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

I was surprised.

Sesshoumaru's back was turned to me, but I could almost picture him narrowing his eyes at Naraku. The wind blew his hair to one side, exposing the back of his neck. My eyes widened when I realized that, at any second, the overwhelming desire for his blood would drive me insane again...

Huh?

I blinked as I looked at him, astonished. There was...he had no...he had no scent. His addictive scent was gone...

How could that be? I stared at his back. I wasn't driven to insanity as the wind blew from his direction to me. I didn't lose my mind, despite the fact that he was only a yard away from me...

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Naraku said mockingly, diverting my attention. He retracted his broken tentacles, his eyes fixed solely on the demon before him. "Why am I not surprised? You seem to grow more compassionate as each day passes."

"Silence."

In the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru suddenly vanished, only to appear—a fraction of a second later—in front of Naraku, sword aimed towards Naraku's heart. Naraku suddenly spun around so he avoided the blade, his tentacles flying around. Without warning, one tentacle shot towards Sesshoumaru's back.

Sesshoumaru leapt gracefully into the air, avoiding the tentacle. As he fell, he aimed his blade towards Naraku's head.

I turned my attention from their battle, to Jacob. My eyes widened in horror. Jake's eyes were closed, his tongue sticking out. I placed a hand on his head, his shaggy fur caressing my skin.

"Jake," I whispered.

He opened his eyes for a moment, as though to make sure that the voice he heard was mine. His eyes snapped shut. At that moment, it felt as though my heart stopped beating in my chest.

"Jake!" I hissed, shaking him. "C'mon, wake up!" He was panting by now. My eyes landed on his muzzle. His mouth was covered with Naraku's dark noxious miasma...poison.

No.

"Jake!" I gripped his fur tightly. He didn't respond.

NO!

Never before had the possibility of losing Jake crossed my mind. I had no reason to even think about losing him—he was everything I had. He was the sun, the air, the laughter—he was my _life_. And why would I even contemplate on losing my life?

"C'mon, Jake, this isn't funny!" I hissed, pretending to be annoyed. His eyes remained closed. My heart stopped. I couldn't perceive anything. I couldn't hear the battle between Sesshoumaru and Naraku, I couldn't hear Alice and Rosalie's frantic pleas for me to run. I didn't notice them, because I didn't care about _them—_at the moment.

All I cared about was Jacob.

Jacob who seemed as still as stone...

"No way," I muttered. Automatically, my hand flew to his neck, to his jugular. There was a pulse! It was weak, but it was a pulse!

"Ness, watch out!" Alice suddenly shouted.

Huh? Before I could even look up from Jake, my ears picked the sound of something whooshing through the air. I looked up just as Naraku's tentacle wrapped around my waist, drawing me away from Jacob and towards him.

As he drew me towards him, I was able to make out, from the peripheral of my vision, Sesshoumaru's cold eyes narrowed slightly at Naraku. I was also able to make out the looks of pure horror on Alice and Rosalie's faces as they watched Naraku pull me towards him...

Towards him and away from Jake...

"Let me go!" I shouted, flailing my arms.

Naraku chuckled menacingly as he drew me towards him, his eyes narrowed deviously. "Compared to the others, you're quite weak, aren't you?" His eyes darted to Rosalie and Alice, both of whom were still attached to his barrier. His spiteful eyes flickered back to me. "And compared to the others, you're attachment to that mangy mutt blinds you more than anything, does it not?"

My eyes widened as I felt anger seething through me. "Don't you dare insult Jacob!" I snarled. How dare he...after what he did to my Jake...

Naraku clicked his tongue in mock sympathy. "Of course," he said apologetically. "After all, we must not insult those who are on the very brink of death, correct?" His smile turned sadistic.

At that second, I snapped.

How...dare he...imply—I wouldn't let Jake die!

I growled at him as I narrowed my eyes angrily. I could feel strength flowing through my body—strength from Sesshoumaru's blood. Angrily, I gripped Naraku's tentacles with both my hands, crushing the bony appendages with my fingers.

I landed on both my feet as I fell to the ground in front of Naraku, whose smile only widened. He didn't seem at all flustered about my rare display of bravado.

"Very good," Naraku commented, smirking.

I growled at him, my eyes narrowed. "Anger is such an effective tool, isn't it?" Naraku mocked. He glanced at Sesshoumaru, smirking. "Is it not, Lord Sesshoumaru? This girl's anger enabled her to use the strength of your blood—interesting, don't you agree?"

Sesshoumaru frowned infinitesimally at Naraku. I was still amazed that I was able to look at him and not go crazy—what had happened to his delectable scent, anyway?

I pushed the train of thought from my mind. Even without his scent, the very memory of it would be enough to drive me mad.

"Enough." Before Naraku could throw another word, Sesshoumaru sped towards him. I quickly jumped back just as Naraku parried Sesshoumaru's blade with his tentacle. Stupid choice, that one. Sesshoumaru's sword...Bakusomething easily sliced through Naraku's tentacles.

I pulled my attention away from their fight and sped towards Jacob in record time. He was still out cold, and he had...stopped moving.

No...

Once again, my hand flew to his jugular. His pulse was so weak...Was Naraku's poison this potent? Was it so deadly that it could incapacitate _Jake_?

Behind me, I could hear Sesshoumaru and Naraku battling it out. It seemed like the demon Sesshoumaru was winning...but I could care less who won, at the moment. All I cared about was Jacob...

"Jake...?" I whispered.

To my relief, he opened one eye and narrowed it at me, telling me to leave him and run. "I won't leave you, silly," I mumbled, trying to smile reassuringly.

"Ness, take Jake and run!" Rosalie screeched. I glanced over my shoulder at her. She and Alice had long since given up on trying to break Naraku's barrier—their main goal now was to make sure I ran off. "Find Kagome—I'm sure she'll be able to help you!"

I didn't need telling twice. If there was a way to help Jake, I'd take it. Without hesitating, I lifted Jacob into my arms, and he growled in protest. Jake didn't like being the damsel in distress—I'd have to remember to rub it in his face...

I made for the row of trees. But before I could reach it, a black blur speed in front of me, blocking my way.

Gasping, I took a step back as Naraku grinned maliciously at me. "Where do you think you're going?" Naraku said, smirking.

"Get out of my way!" I snarled. My mind tried to tell me that, with Jake in my arms, I would have a hard time defending myself, but all I could think about was the irrepressible need to find Kagome, to help Jake...

"Please say you do not expect me to move," Naraku mused.

Before I could retort, I felt a high rise in energy heading towards my back, accompanied by massive heat. My feet suddenly moved beneath me, forcing me to jump to the side just as a flash of blue roared beneath me, towards Naraku. Naraku's eyes widened as he was blown off his feet and into the trees. The flash of blue easily tore down the surrounding trees, and left deep grooves in the ground.

Sesshoumaru's attack disoriented me midair, and I fell on my side to the ground, forming a depression in the earth. Jacob fell from my arms and hit the ground with a dull thud.

My eyes widened in anger as I turned to the demon. Sesshoumaru's sword was still pointed towards the felled trees, his eyes narrowed.

"You tried to kill me!" I growled at him.

He ignored me. It was then that I heard it—a low rumbling noise, coming from where Naraku was blasted into the trees. I stood up, my eyes following Sesshoumaru's gaze. Without warning, the ground suddenly shook, and I swayed slightly.

The rumbling grew louder. Two large red eyes suddenly glowed from the remaining trees, two red eyes that seemed to get bigger and bigger as it drew closer.

A giant spider suddenly burst from the trees, screeching at the stoic Sesshoumaru. My eyes widened in shock and surprise. Whoa...radioactive spider scenario...I shook my head. The spider that raised its forelegs menacingly at Sesshoumaru was as dark as night. Its eyes were blood red, and on its abdomen was an equally blood red hour glass shaped marking...

My brain realized something. "That thing is...Naraku?" I choked, shocked.

No one answered. Alice and Rosalie were equally stunned by the overgrown arachnid screeching in front of them.

"Whatever form you take," Sesshoumaru said coldly as he stood between me and the spider, "is powerless against me!"

So saying, he slashed his sword through the air, and a flash of blue streaked towards the spider, effectively hacking off one its legs, which fell to the ground with a loud crash. I gaped. This was all so unbelievable, so hard to take in...

The spider screeched as it fell sideways, falling to the ground, raising a cloud of dust in the air. "Pitiful," Sesshoumaru commented, his tone bored. He strolled, almost leisurely, towards the spider, sword held at his side.

He suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowed at the spider. Without warning, webs suddenly shot out from the spider's mouth, covering everyone in the clearing, including me and the others!

My eyes widened in surprise as the spider's web fell on me. Revulsion coursed through me as I struggled to loosen myself from the silky web, to no avail—spider webs were stronger than steel.

"Yuck!" I heard Rosalie shriek. "In my _hair_!"

I struggled, thrashing through the spider's webs. A few feet away from me, Jake was oblivious to the glittering web. I had to get to him! I had to help him get to Kagome!

"Wait for me, Jake," I muttered.

A few yards away, Sesshoumaru had already broken free of his web in record time and was preoccupied with the giant spider. I couldn't see him, but I could make out the sounds of his sword slashing through the air, and a random arachnid body part crashing to the ground.

"Stupid _things_!" I snarled, trying to rip the webs apart. So useless! The harder I resisted, the stronger they latched on to me! I had to get to Jake! I must!

A low growling noise a few feet away from me suddenly diverted my attention. My eyes widened in surprise and joy. Jacob was on his feet, ripping at the spider webs with his jaws.

"Jacob!" I exclaimed.

He turned his eyes towards me, eyes that seemed to say, "I'm coming for you."

Jake gave one final tug at the cobwebs that held him, and then he was free! "Nice job, dog!" Rosalie called out. She and Alice had already managed to divest themselves of Naraku's webs.

Jake was immediately beside me in a heartbeat. He carefully gripped the webs on my head with his jaws and tugged.

"Meidou Zangetsuha!" It sounded as if Sesshoumaru's battle with the nefarious Naraku wasn't quite over yet.

Jake growled as he tugged at the webs that held me. This close to him, I could see the miasma that dripped down his muzzle, and onto the webs. The webs hissed as the miasma hit it. My heart thudded in dread. Jake had ingested a lot of miasma...

"Hurry, Jake!" I heard Alice call out. She sounded panicky.

Jake gave one last final tug and the webs fell away. The moment they fell away, I hurled myself at Jake, hugging his great, shaggy neck. "Jacob!" I gasped, burying my face in his fur. "You're wounded—we need to get you to Kagome." I closed my eyes.

Jake licked my cheek with his tongue, and I resisted the urge to cringe. Acidic miasma from his tongue stung.

"Isn't this sweet?" I looked up and, in the same instant, Jake spun around, keeping me behind him. Naraku stood in front of us, his red eyes glinting maliciously.

My eyes widened in surprise. Naraku was...he was...he was nothing more than a floating head! I blinked. Freaky. Disturbingly _freaky_...

It seemed Sesshoumaru had been ruthless.

Jacob growled menacingly at Naraku. I stood up and peered from behind Jacob. "What?" I taunted the floating head. "Sesshoumaru didn't finish you off?"

Naraku's dismembered head only smirked, and I saw his eyes dart to the side. I followed his gaze. Dread suddenly built within me...why did neither Jake nor I realize that we were trapped in Naraku's barrier? Why hadn't Alice or Rosalie warned...? I looked towards them. They were shouting, but I couldn't hear them. The barrier blocked off the sound.

I looked around again. Sesshoumaru was standing just outside the barrier, his eyes narrowed menacingly at Naraku. I take it he hated the exasperating barrier. But if he was feeling flustered at being hampered from reaching Naraku, I felt something else...

Panic.

Jacob growled once again at Naraku. His growl was low, almost feeble...

"You're show of bravery is to be commended," Naraku's head said. "It's not every day that I come across a worthless beast who can withstand my miasma for this long."

With a chill in my bones, I noticed his use of the word 'withstand' rather than _survive_.

I stood by Jacob's side, my eyes narrowed at Naraku. "Let us out!" I snarled, clenching my fists.

"I wonder why they bother asking for release when I have obviously no intention of giving it," Naraku muttered to himself, amused. "You see, Renesmee, I have something you want, and you have something _I_ want."

I glared. "I'm only half a vampire," I pointed out. "You've never met me before—what the hell could I have that you would want?" My voice betrayed my frustration. Jacob was getting weaker, despite his enduring display of bravado.

Naraku smirked. "I want _you_," he said. My eyes widened, and Jacob growled. "Don't think I _desire_ you," Naraku corrected, amused yet again. "Rather, I want your entirety, your very essence. In short, I wish to absorb you."

I blinked. Absorb...?

"And in exchange," he went on. "I will make sure your dear Jacob is not killed by my miasma."

From the peripheral of my vision, I could see Jacob's legs quivering as he struggled to remain standing. Miasma dripped from his mouth. His fangs were bared at Naraku. He couldn't understand what Naraku was saying, which was a relief. I didn't want him straining himself.

Wait...what would happen to me if he absorbed me? Of course...I would die. But if the exchange would be Jacob's wellbeing, then I didn't have to think about it—Jacob was my life. Even if I died, through him, I would still exist.

I didn't need to think about it.

I stepped towards Naraku, and Jacob growled at me. I could feel his mouth gently closing around my arm, stopping me.

"Let go, Jake," I said, shrugging his arm off. I kept my gaze fixed on Naraku.

Jacob suddenly yipped as the miasma overpowered him. I heard a loud thud as he fell to the ground, unconscious. I couldn't bear to look at him.

I took another step away from Jake and towards Naraku. From the periphery, I could make out Alice and Rosalie screaming at me, their voices annulled by the barrier. I could make out Sesshoumaru, his golden eyes narrowed at me. I think he knew what I was going to do. Of course he did. He seemed like the type of guy who would know everything.

Kinda like Edward. As I took another step towards Naraku, I felt dread building within me. My vampire family...what would they think when they realized that I had given myself to Naraku to save Jake? I hoped they wouldn't blame Jake...

Thoughts of my family filled my mind as I took the steps towards Naraku. Bella. Edward. Alice. Rosalie. Emmett. Carlisle. Esme. Renee. Charlie. My Quileute friends...

I was suddenly a foot away from Naraku's floating head. I looked up at him, scowling. "Well, here I am," I said,defeated. "Keep your bargain and spare Jake."

He grinned manically. "We'll see."

My eyes widened as tentacles suddenly burst from the base of his head, and wrapped around me.

**-o-Kagome-o-**

"Edward!"

Bella's keen of anguish reverberated throughout the clearing. She sounded like an angel in lament instead of a wailing vampire.

We were still stunned. Barely a minute had passed since Hakudoshi had left with the abducted Cullens. It was as though the shock was enough to freeze us all in place. Inuyasha stood by me, his eyes fixed on Bella. Miroku and Sango were both looking up at the sky, as though they expected Hakudoshi to return. Shippou clung to my leg.

We were a frozen tableau.

"Edward!" Bella's third peel of anguish snapped us out of our shock.

Blinking, I gently disengaged Shippou from my leg. I hesitated, then I approached Bella. She didn't react to my presence. Her eyes were busy looking frantically up at the sky. There was agony, frustration and bitterness in her lovely golden eyes.

"Bella?" I whispered uncertainly.

In the blink of an eye, she was suddenly standing. "Tell me," she choked. She looked as though she wanted to cry. "Where have they taken Edward and the others?"

I switched to English. "Most probably to Naraku's castle...but we don't where that is."

Bella bit her perfect lip. "What do you mean you don't know?" She was struggling to maintain her calm. I had a sneaking suspicion that she wanted to yell at me. "You...you guys have been fighting Naraku, for Pete's sake! Surely...?"

I sighed. "The truth is," I said. "We're not even sure if Naraku's still got a castle—I think he gave up living ostentatiously since Mount Hakurei. So...we're not sure where his latest hide out is..."

To my surprise, Bella fell to the ground, landing on her behind. It was as if she crumbled elegantly to the ground. Her honey colored eyes stared blankly past me, unseeing.

"Edward," she muttered. She shook her head so fast, I was amazed it didn't fly off. "This...this can't be happening..."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's urgent voice made me whip around. He was staring behind him, at the trees. "Naraku's scent...Naraku is close by!"

Before I could even react, Bella suddenly shot off the ground and towards the trees.

"Inuyasha, hurry!" I urged, clinging tightly to his back as he ran through the forest. "Are you sure Naraku's at the well?"

"I could smell him in the well's direction!" Inuyasha said. "Remember—he wanted Renesmee too. She's at the well!"

Flying on Kirara beside us, Miroku and Sango exchanged significant looks. For what purpose did Naraku want Renesmee?

"Oh no, you don't," Bella snarled fiercely under her breath. She was running ahead of us, her desperation and anger propelling her faster than Inuyasha. "You took my husband—I won't let you take my daughter!"

The forest was nothing more than a blur as Inuyasha paced to keep up with Bella. We hurtled through the trees, until we finally came to the clearing of the Bone Eater's Well.

The sight that greeted us at the well made us stop.

On one side of the clearing were Alice and Rosalie. Both vampires' arms were halfway through Naraku's barrier, effectively holding them. In the middle of the clearing was another one of Naraku's barriers. This one was larger. Renesmee and Jacob were in the barrier, as was Naraku's floating head. Jacob, in his wolf form, was lying on the ground, unconscious. Renesmee was standing in front of Naraku. Standing outside the barrier was Sesshoumaru, his eyes narrowed at Naraku and Renesmee.

Renesmee, who stood in front of Naraku, looking up at him with hate in her eyes. She muttered something, and Naraku smirked. His lips moved as he answered her. A second later, tentacles burst from the base of Naraku's head, wrapping around Renesmee!

"Renesmee!" Bella shrieked. A fraction of a second later, she launched herself at the barrier, to no avail.

"Inuyasha, quick!" I shouted as I jumped off his back.

But before Inuyasha could even draw Tessaiga, Jacob suddenly sprang from the ground and lunged towards the bundle of tentacles that encased Renesmee. He tore through them with his fangs, ignoring the miasma as it gushed from where he bit.

Jacob gave one last final tug, and Renesmee was free. She coughed and fell to the ground, on her knees. What happened next was a blur. More of Naraku's tentacles suddenly shot out from beneath his head, heading straight for Renesmee. Jacob suddenly rammed into Renesmee, sending her flying against the barrier wall. Naraku's tentacles wrapped around Jake instead, absorbing him.

Renesmee's scream, though inaudible, was bloodcurdling.

"Inuyasha!" I shouted.

"On it!" Inuyasha suddenly lunged into the air and, at the same time, he unsheathed Tessaiga. "Adamant Barrage!" Spears of adamant rained down on the barrier from above, dispelling it.

"Jacob!" Renesmee shrieked. She was nothing more than a blur as she rushed towards Naraku's head.

Naraku chuckled as he flew into the air, away from Renesmee. His tentacles held Jacob in his grasp, Jacob who had lost consciousness. Jacob, who was slowly being draw in towards Naraku.

"Dammit," Inuyasha growled as he landed beside me. "We can't do anything as long as he's got that wolf!"

"Let him go!" Renesmee shrieked, glaring up at Naraku. There was a wild frenzy in her eyes.

Naraku only chuckled. "The anger and desperation on your face is beautiful to behold," Naraku said, as he slowly absorbed Jacob.

**-x-Renesmee-x-**

No, _no_, _NO!_

I felt so helpless as I looked up at Jacob, dangling from Naraku's tentacles. His eyes were closed. NO!

"Let him go!" I shouted again, clenching my fists. I was only dimly aware of Inuyasha and the others. All I could focus on was Jacob...

The bastard Naraku raised an eyebrow. "You can set him free," he said.

I bit my lip. Of course—my life for Jake's. It was something I didn't have to think about.

"No!" I glanced to one end of the clearing, to where Bella and the others were. Wait...where were Edward, Emmett and Jasper? "Ness, no!"

Was she crazy? Jacob's life depended on me! He needed my life! How could I not?

But before I could do anything, there was a high rise in energy in the clearing. My eyes widened in surprise as I spun around, towards the source of the tremendous aura.

Sesshoumaru stood several yards behind me. He was pointing his sword straight at Naraku. Blue light emanated from him and the sword—his aura, I realized. His heinously powerful aura...

I suddenly realized what he was going to do. He was going to blast Naraku to kingdom come...he was going to kill _Jacob_ along with Naraku!

Sesshoumaru's cold voice suddenly rang throughout the clearing. "Dragon—"

"NO!" Without even thinking, I lunged towards him. Of course, he was quicker. He immediately jumped back just as I landed on the spot he had been standing on a fraction of a second earlier.

"Meddlesome half-breed!" he snarled. I inwardly cringed as he bared his fangs at me, his golden eyes narrowing.

"Stupid buffoon!" I growled, glaring at him. "Watch where you point that thing!" He glared at me, and I felt my anger slowly turn to fear. Sesshoumaru's glare—when directed at you—was more terrifying than having to confront a smiling Jane.

Naraku's chuckling pulled my attention away from the demon. "Too bad, Renesmee," he said as I spun around to face him. I felt my body freeze. His tentacles had completely wrapped around Jacob now, enveloping him in a slimy cocoon.

"NO!" I shouted. Desperation rose within me. At that moment, how I wished that I was a full vampire! At least, I would have been able to help Jacob!

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango shouted as she hurled her massive boomerang at Naraku. Naraku only raised an eyebrow as Sango's boomerang came into contact with a barrier that materialized around the fiend.

"Leave him to me!" Inuyasha snarled as his Tessaiga glistened with diamonds.

Naraku smirked. "Unfortunately," he said as the barrier slowly rose higher...and higher. "I don't have any more time for you, Inuyasha." He looked at me. "And as for you—remember, Renesmee. I gave you the chance to die for him, and you didn't."

And then, right before my eyes, the barrier slowly started to fade...

"Jacob, NOO!" I shrieked as I lunged towards the barrier. I felt myself soar through the air, propelled by my vampire strength and desperation. I felt the wind rush past me as I reached a hand out towards the barrier...

But the barrier had vanished and with it, my life. I felt myself fall to the ground, as though in slow motion. My eyes were fixed on the spot in the air where the barrier had vanished. My vision was marred by strands of bronze ringlets that swept to my eyes as I fell, fell...I didn't even bother to right myself in midair.

"NO!" In that instant, I felt something in my chest. It was as if my heart was being twisted and then slowly cut apart so I could feel nothing but pain. It was as though someone had punched a hole through my chest, and wrenched away my heart, which crumbled into a million fragments...

There was too much pain. "JACOB!"

So much pain...

"JACOB! JACOB!"

And then, the pain overpowered me.

I could feel myself falling, falling into a black abyss...

I hoped that I would never wake up.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

What had happened?

I was lost. So lonely. It was black. It was quiet. Where was I? I don't know. I couldn't remember...I've often thought what it would be like to be tucked away, in a place where you couldn't feel anything. Like the womb. Nothing can hurt you in the womb. Maybe that was where I was? It was dark. Quiet. I could not feel a thing...

Not even the intense anguish I was supposed to feel.

Why, though? Why would I be in anguish...?

"Is she coming to?" came a familiar voice. This voice was angelic, beautiful—but it was broken.

"I'm not sure," another voice replied. This one was beautiful, too—and it sounded defeated.

What was wrong with all these gloomy voices...?

I groaned. That groan did something, then. It alerted me to the fact that I was conscious. It also made me remember...

Jacob, gone.

Jake...

My eyes flew open. My vision was blurred. The dark sky above me was blurred. My eyes felt hot. Tears, I realized...

"Renesmee?" Bella, sitting beside me, said. She sounded cautious as I slowly sat up. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and onto my lap. The others were sitting around me. They all looked withdrawn, silent. But the most devastated of faces belonged to Alice, Bella and Rosalie...

And me.

I felt it. A tearing, grinding, cracking sensation in my chest. It was pain. It overrode even the thirst I felt.

My heart was breaking.

I'd always thought that that was just a silly phrase used by mediocre romance novelists. I also thought that it was so impossible for your heart to actually _break_. It was all in the hypothalamus, right? All in the head?

Then what was this pain in my chest?

It was as if a hole was being punched through. It was as if a fist stronger than vampire skin burst into my chest, took my heart, and was slowly twisting it, cracking it, until there was nothing but fragments left. And then, those fragments dissolved into oblivion. My heart was gone...

But the pain remained.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

As if it wasn't enough for Fate to take Ja..._him_ away. It had to take away my family too!

My eyes were wide as saucers as I stared at the faces of Alice, Bella, and Rosalie. "That's not right," I stuttered. "That's impossible. Edward, Emmett and Jasper..." My voice trailed away.

Bella couldn't speak, so Kagome said, "Hakudoshi and Kagura...they took the three of them away. Imprisoned them in a barrier..."

I looked at the remainder of my family. I knew that if they had hearts, theirs would break like mine. I knew that if they could cry, tears would stream down their cheeks...I wasn't the only one suffering...

"Yeesh!" We all jumped, even Bella and the others. We turned towards the rough voice of Inuyasha. He was sitting just behind Kagome, arms crossed across his chest, half his face hidden in shadow. "You guys sighing and moaning as if it was the end of the world," he scoffed.

I felt anger coming from my decimated vampire family. "Instead of sighing our butts off, think of it this way—the sooner we kill Naraku, the sooner we can get your mates back," Inuyasha said.

Alice stared at him with wide eyes. "Do you think," she said quietly. "That that monster can be defeated?"

"Do you think we're weak?" Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "It's only a matter of time before I run Naraku through my Tessaiga." He gripped the sheath of his sword as though to emphasize his point.

Alice and Rosalie narrowed their eyes at him, Rosalie murmuring quietly in translation for Bella. Alice sighed. "If you think you can defeat this Naraku and help us get the others back," she said, determination in her butterscotch eyes. "We're in."

Rosalie and Bella nodded, too. Their eyes were still shadowed with grief, like that of the bereaved, but there was something else there now. Something that slightly veiled the sorrow in their dark, ochre eyes...

A desire for revenge.

I bit my lip and looked down. That was what I envied about pure blooded vampires. If they put their minds to it, they can easily control their emotions, what will all the room in their heads and all...

But me...

The pain in my chest throbbed and bled. It was too much pain...

Oh, Jacob...

"I'm so sorry," I muttered.

Everyone's eyes were suddenly on me. I looked at them all. "I...I..." The pain was building...so much pain. I wanted to get rid of my chest!

"Oh, Renesmee." The next thing I knew, Bella had me in her stone arms, drawing me close to her. She buried her face in my hair. "It's alright..." she whispered, stroking my hair. I let the tears fall. I could feel myself convulsing as the sobs and the pain racked me.

I gripped Bella's arms tightly as the pain became even more pronounced. How was I going to cope with pain of this magnitude? It seemed like the burning pain suffered by vampires during the transformation was nothing compared to this torture...

I let go of Bella. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "It's just...I need...to be alone...I..." Before anyone can stop me, I stood up and darted out the room as fast vampire speed allowed.

"Renesmee!" I hear Bella yell as I felt the rush of the cool night air through my hair.

"Let her be for now." Inuyasha's gruff voice was the last thing I heard before I darted into darkness of the forest.

But no matter how fast I ran, the pain would not go away.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After what seemed like two hours of non-stop running, I stopped at the edge of a ravine. It was a fifty foot jump to the other side, which I could have easily managed in a heartbeat. Beneath the ravine, I could hear the distinct howl of a river rushing past.

I closed my eyes, felt the wind playing with my hair. For an agonizing moment, I remembered the way Jake used to toss my hair around, commenting on its striking color when the sun hit it.

My eyes opened. "Oh, Jacob," I whispered. Why? Why him? With a stab of horror, I realized that Jake wouldn't be...if it wasn't for me. _I_ was the one Naraku wanted, but Jake had saved me...

I wound my arms around my middle, as though I was trying to hold myself together. There was too much pain! How could someone live with this kind of pain?

The wind howled mournfully through the ravine, rushing up and blowing around me. I felt it caress my hair, my arms, my face, on my lips...I imagined it was Jake...

A muffled sob escaped me as I opened my eyes again, staring dead ahead. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob...everything seemed so meaningless...so useless...

I glanced towards the bottom of the ravine, where the river slithered beneath like a glistening snake. A vampire could so easily survive the fall from here to there...a vampire could not drown—they didn't need air. A vampire's skin could so easily protect him from whatever piercing object he would encounter when he hit the water...and cold would not affect a vampire.

But _I_ wasn't a vampire.

Sure, my vampire skin would protect me. Sure, my vampire strength could easily propel me from the water to the river bank. But I had one thing a vampire didn't have...didn't _need_...

I needed air.

I took a step towards the ravine, but stopped. If I did this, I would only be adding grief to Bella, to my mother. Not to mention, Jake would have disapproved...

But no.

I _needed _to be where Jake was...

I refused to say goodbye...I'd follow him, wherever he was...

All hesitation vanished as I plunged into the ravine.

The sound of the air rushing past me was the last thing I heard before I hit the icy water below.

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

**A1969: and that's that.  
Alice: I thoroughly disapprove of you updating late!  
A1969: urgh...hey, you don't think I feel guilty about that?  
Alice: no.  
A1969: -.-  
Kagome: oh, ignore Alice. She's not always this moody. Wait...where's Bella?**

**Alice: oh, she went somewhere...she wouldn't say, though.  
A1969: anyway, I'd like to thank those who read and reviewed the previous chapter! I'm sorry if I take so long—I've just been so busy. That and I just got better. Ah well, c'est la vie. **

**Review please!**


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